State of Grace
by Bright645
Summary: AU/AH-After a one night stand, Klaus can't get Caroline out of his head. When he finds her again he is in for a surprise. Will he still be interested in her or will he back off?
1. Chapter 1

**State of Grace**

_"And I never saw you coming,_

_And I'll never be the same."_

_Taylor Swift_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bonnie Bennett asked as she carefully maneuvered the mascara wand over her eye lashes.

"Yes, I need a night out!" Caroline Forbes exclaimed eyeing her best friend through the mirror as she was applying lipstick. She pulled back, setting the tube on the counter and fluffed her perfectly curled blonde hair while assessing her attire.

Caroline donned her favourite little black dress that was strapless and curve hugging. It happened to show off her long, creamy legs and the right amount of cleavage. While Bonnie had on a pair of black leggings with a loose, hunter green crop top which happened accentuate her eyes.

The pair stole one last look in the mirror before grabbing their purses which respectfully matched their attire. Both wearing sky high heels to top their outfits off, making them look drop dead gorgeous.

The two never went out, ever had time with their busy lives so when they did they went all out; Caroline with family and Bonnie with work. Still they prided themselves on making time for each other and occasionally going out to the bars for a little fun.

Living in the city had its perks, being that they were within walking distance of either the subway or their destination. Tonight happened to the latter, they were five minutes from the bar of their choosing.

_Club Red_ happened to be a popular club in the middle of the city and was spilling of fellow party goers like Caroline and Bonnie. Luckily, they were friends with the bouncer and jumped to the front of the line and into the loud and crowded building. Like the name, the walls were covered in red with the tables and curtains varying shades.

They worked their way through the crowded club to the far wall where the bar was located. Caroline ordered the both of them multiple shots of tequila, needing a quick relief and to let loose.

Bonnie joined Caroline in downing their shots one after the other before ordering drinks for the rest of the night. Bonnie ordered a vodka tonic and Caroline a glass of scotch. She downed the drink eagerly, ready to get onto the dance floor.

"Come on, Bonnie, I'm ready to dance!" She shouted over the music that filled the room while wiggling beside her best friend.

Bonnie laughed and gulped down her own drink. After setting the empty glass on the bar top, Bonnie grabbed Carolines' hand and dragged her onto the nearby dance floor that occupied a majority of the large room.

The dance floor was crowded with people dancing along to the loud pop song that played over the speakers. Caroline threw both hands in the air and let her head rolled back as she shook her hips to the rhythm of the song. She could feel all the tension from the week before leave her body and she felt carefree and alive.

* * *

"Let's go!" Kol Mikaelson whined as he practically bounced up and down.

"I'm busy, go away," moaned Niklaus Mikaelson who was sitting in front of an empty canvas with paint brush in hand. He was studying it, trying to think of inspiration of what to paint.

"I want to go out, just come with me, Nik."

Klaus gently put down his paintbrush and stared at the empty canvas in front of him. Nothing had been inspiring him lately; he had no muse and had no inspiration. It was safe to say he was in a rut, one which he couldn't easily climb out of since he had been in it for months. Luckily he had enough money in the bank from previous, successful paintings that he was secure enough to take a few months off.

"Fine," he grumbled getting up off the chair and passing Kol as he walked out of his studio. Kol rejoiced and followed him through his apartment and into the large bedroom where he was picking out something to wear for the night.

"Wear the blue one," Kol suggested from the bed that he was laying on in the middle of the room.

Klaus rolled his eyes, his brother couldn't even see into the closet and he had many blue shirts. He quickly changed out of his paint stained white Henley and into a light blue button down dress shirt, rolling up the sleeve to the elbows to add casualty to his attire. He didn't bother changing out of his dark blue jeans, deciding he didn't want to dress up completely.

Walking into the bathroom, Klaus quickly ran his hands through his hair and took a quick look at his attire. He wasn't one to focus on what he looked like but he felt the need to look good, considering he was going to a club for the first time in months. Klaus wsn't one for that scene, instead he enjoyed staying at home to paint or read.

"It's about time," Kol grumbled when Klaus finally walked out of the ensuite bathroom.

His brother, he wore a v-neck and dark jeans under a leather jacket quickly made his way out of the bedroom. Klaus followed behind, sulking slightly. It was his apartment but one would never know it by the way Kol walks around like he owns the place.

The two made their way into the busy city streets, Kol hailing a taxi and Klaus climbing in behind when one pulled up to the curb. Kol told the driver that they were headed to some Club Red.

Klaus followed his younger brother into the club after paying the cabbie and surpassing the long line that awaited outside. The place was exactly as one expected it to be, adorned in different shades of red. He followed his Kol up the stairs that stood by the entrance and ended up on the upper floor that over looked the dance floor below.

The bottom level was filled with people dancing while the upper was filled with people enjoying their drinks or ordering at the small bar. The brothers placed their orders and once they received their glass of scotch proceeded to walk to the railing that overlooked onto the crowded dance floor.

He wasn't paying attention to anything in particular but rather taking in his surroundings. His brother, on the other hand, had his eyes on something or someone below.

Klaus followed the line of sight to a petite brunette with dark skin dancing. There was nothing special about the girl, she was plain and ordinary. However, the girl dancing beside her was something and he couldn't tear his gaze away. Her blonde curls bounced of her shoulders and the black dress hugged her in all the right places, leaving virtually nothing to imagination.

"She looks like a tasty little thing." Kol said, motioning to the brunette. "Will you play wingman and take the friend?"

Klaus nodded as they watched the two women stop dancing and slink to the bar placing an order. Kol sprang from the banister and wove through the small crowd and down the stairs, Klaus following close behind.

They had a little trouble making it to the bar on the lower level because it was so crowded but eventually they made it. Kol immediately took to the brunette, Klaus faintly hearing her name was Bonnie and the friend was Caroline.

Beautiful name for a beautiful woman, Klaus thought.

He approached the blonde cautiously, feeling nervous and unsure of himself. It was a surprise to him because even though he wasn't one for the bar or club scene he did know how to talk to women. However the one standing in front of him seemed to be a different species entirely.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked the blonde who was in front of him. She spun around on her heel, taking Klaus off guard by her beauty. Her blue eyes pierced his own while her plump pink lips curled up in a smirk.

"You can but I think I'm drunk enough. How about we get you a drink so you can catch you up? Can't be the only sober person in the place." She replied before turning back to the bartender who was patiently waiting for her to place her order.

Once the drinks arrived, Caroline handed him shot after shot of tequila which he downed without question. He noticed that Kol had since left with the friend without as much as a word from either of them. Kol was always the charmer of the family and used it frequently throughout his life, often working it to his advantage.

"Care to dance?" He asked once he felt sufficiently buzzed. She nodded, grabbing his hand and leading him out to the dance floor.

Caroline led him right into the middle of the crowd and turned around so her back was to her front and began to grind up against him. Klaus had never been good at dancing but followed her lead, holding onto her hips. He enjoyed the feel of her body when she leaned back against him and the heat that radiated off her.

Klaus spun her around, wanting to study more of her face. She pouted briefly before moving her hips again and began to rub her hands down the side of his arms. He smirked, pulling her closer as she admired his body.

* * *

Caroline and Bonnie had a rule for when they got separated, that they would always text if they ever left before the other. The other would just find their own way home without worry. Other times they would ride home together.

Bonnie had left Caroline, but she wasn't surprised for she had a habit of always leaving her when they were out to a club. Caroline made the best of the situation, getting the guy drunk and not even asking for his name.

He was handsome enough, curly dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes. The stubble that lined his cheeks and jaw gave him a rugged appearance along with the necklaces that hung over his shirt.

Caroline stared up at him as they danced together, her grinding her hips with his. She had to admit he had a nice body and couldn't keep her hands from roaming up and down his biceps. They eventually moved to his muscular back and downwards onto his ass. She gave it a light squeeze before bringing them back up to his neck.

He held her close to him, the two never breaking eye contact. She purposely slowed her movement and broke eye contact as she leaned her forehead on his shoulder. Slowly, she lifted her head, giving a light peck on his neck. She felt him tremble slightly under her touch and began to kiss her way up along his jaw, eventually finding his lips.

She placed a chaste kiss on his raspberry lips, pulling away quickly when she realized what she was doing. For all she knew he could have a girlfriend of some kind or possibly a wife and kids waiting at home.

However the thought didn't last long when his lips came crashing down on hers. She responded almost immediately, moving her lips against his, liking the electricity that sparked and ran through her body. It felt like she came alive the moment he kissed her.

Caroline pulled back, biting her lip nervously. "Want to get out of here…"

"Klaus," he finished for her.

"Want to get out of here, Klaus?" Klaus, she asked again.

Klaus smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips. "Of course, love."

Caroline could have fainted that very moment. Not only had she not known his name but she hadn't realized he had an undeniably sexy voice. She blushed at the thought and grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd that was still dancing.

They stumbled out of the club, laughing as a warm breeze hit her cheeks. Caroline loved summer nights and relished in the warmth that came with them. She breathed in, closing her eyes as she took in the air around her, feeling herself relax.

Klaus grabbed her hand and her eyes shot open as she felt her back hit the wall. Klaus had one hand on her stomach with the other pushing her hair away as he dove in kissing and sucking on her neck. Caroline reached up, lacing her fingers through his hair while the other was on his lower back, both pulling him into her.

Caroline pulled his head back off her neck before attacking his lips with her own. She ran her tongue along his lips; encouraging for them to open and when he did her tongue darted into his mouth. They battled each other, both fighting for control as their tongues danced.

Without breaking apart, Klaus ran his hands down her sides to her thighs. He squeezed before lifting her up as she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Caroline relished the feeling of him and grinded against him, causing him to growl in response.

Caroline dug her fingernails into his back, holding him close to her as he cupped her ass. He broke their kiss and moved his head to the side of hers. He pecked the shell of her ear and she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach; the act so simple and sincere that she couldn't help the reaction.

"My place or yours?" He whispered breathlessly into her ear.

"Yours." She replied as smirked as she felt him licking and sucking on her neck.

The next second she found her legs being unwrapped from around his waist and her feel hitting the ground. Klaus grabbed her hand and lead her into an awaiting cab. He rambled off an address, one that was in a well-polished neighborhood of the city.

Caroline quickly sent Bonnie a text saying she was fine and went home and that she'll see her tomorrow as Klaus placed soft kisses along her collarbone.

She let out a moan as he ran his mouth across her body, licking and placing soft kisses. Before they knew it they were outside of a tall building, Caroline getting out first and watched as he threw a few bills out of his wallet to the driver.

Klaus led her past the doorman who was innocently holding open the door and into an awaiting elevator. Before the doors even closed, Klaus had her pinned up to the wall, his lips moving against hers. Her hands roamed across his body and loved the way he felt pressed up against hers.

The elevator dinged, indicating they had arrived and Klaus had let go of her. She followed him into the hallway to one of three doors that were on that floor. Klaus got out a key and unlocked the door, pulling Caroline inside after him.

His hands went straight to the back zipper on her dress, tugging it down and watched with excitement as it fell from her body onto the floor. Caroline smirked before placing a kiss on the side of his lips then his jaw and eventually his neck. She began to suck and lick while her hands played with the front buttons of his shirt.

Caroline pushed the shirt off his shoulders and reached up to kiss him. She deepened the kiss, slanting her lips across his. She had never been kissed like this before; with so much passion, she never wanted to stop.

Klaus pulled her up onto him, her legs once again wrapping around his waist. One of his arms was around her back to press her closer to him while the other was wrapped in her hair. Her hands framed his face, holding him to her herself.

He carried her through the apartment as he fumbled to take off his shoes on his way. He stumbled into the bedroom, dropping her onto the bed with him laying on top of her.

Klaus took full advantage of her, slowing the kiss down until it was merely a peck. His hands pinned her arms down at her side while he ran his mouth down her neck to her collarbone. Sucking and licking down her chest to just above her bra. He let go of one hand and reached behind her to lift her back off the bed while his other hand undid the clip.

Her bra came loose and he gently pulled the straps down and off her arms and tossed it to the side. His lips dove down and he began to suck on one nipple while the other breast was being massaged by his free hand.

Caroline ran her hands down his back and through his hair, encouraging him. He bit down on the hardened nipple causing a gasp and then a moan to escape her lips. She felt him smirk against her skip as he kissed across her chest as he repeated his actions to the other nipple.

When he was satisfied he moved his lips down to her stomach, pausing when he reached the tip of her panties. His hand cupped her core, feeling her already wet. Klaus looked up to question his actions; she gave him a slight nod through hooded eyes. He eagerly pulled her panties down her legs and tossed them aside.

Caroline was self-conscious as she watched him stare down at her but finally he made his move. His fingers ran across her slick folds teasing her while his mouth tended to her clit. He began to lick a slow pattern causing her to moan in pleasure and tug at his hair. Her hips bucked up and his free hand had to go across her body to hold her down.

Caroline tried to stifle a moan but couldn't help it when he plunged two fingers inside of her unexpectedly as he bit down on her clit. Klaus pumped his fingers in and out, it was slow at first but he began to pick up his pace. Caroline felt herself being pushed to the edge and tried to fight it but as one hand snuck up to massage her breast she was sent falling.

She was sent flying over the edge and practically saw fireworks behind her eyelids. As she came back to earth, Klaus slowed his fingers down and eventually withdrew them altogether.

"You are beautiful, Caroline." He said as he rose up to place a kiss at the side of her mouth. Klaus stood up to remove his socks and then his pants. Caroline sat up and pulled down his boxers for him. She noticed he was completely hard for her and she bit her lip in anticipation as she eyed the size of him.

Klaus moved to the bedside table, grabbing a foil packet and opening it. Caroline watched as he slid the condom over his length, biting her lip. He stepped back in front of her, eyes full of lust.

Klaus noticed her hesitation and leaned down; cupping her face he gave a sweet kiss. Caroline reached up pulling him into her as she deepened the kiss. She broke from the kiss and inched towards the head of the bed, Klaus following her lead and settled himself between her legs before he leaned down and kissed her again.

This kiss wasn't like the others before; it was needy as Klaus pushed his tongue into her mouth. His hands roamed across her body trying to claim it as his.

Caroline wrapped one hand of hers into his hairs tugging at it while the other ran down his chest. It reached his hardened length and she stroked it a few times before guiding it into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed into her slowly, allowing him to go deeper. She loved the full feeling that he allowed.

Klaus waited a moment, letting her stretch herself to his size before he began to move again. His movements were slow, pulling almost all the way out before pushing back into her again. His hands raked her body, teasing her breasts while he kissed her lips passionately.

Caroline didn't like the pace he had set and began to meet him thrust for thrust. She began to move her lips hungrily against his s her nails ran down his back. She felt him shiver under her touch as he let out a low growl.

When he still didn't move any faster Caroline groaned. "Faster," she whispered against his ear when she came up for breath.

Klaus pulled back and smirked kissing her quickly on the lips before he moved to her neck. He began to thrust faster and harder into her as Caroline moaned loudly, unable to supress her cries.

She was truly on cloud nine, loving the way his body fit perfectly to hers and the way he moved with her. She felt herself moving closer to the edge every time Klaus thrust into her. He changed his angle and soon he was hitting the spot that drove her wild. He seemed to notice as he hit the spot repeatedly, her moans bouncing off the walls.

Klaus wasn't quiet; he was letting his own groans slip through his teeth every time Caroline ran her nails down his back or through his hair. He loved the way she enveloped him and the way he filled her completely.

Caroline was pushed over the edge when Klaus bit into her neck lightly. This time she did see fireworks, her eyes scrunched up, she cried in ecstasy. After a few long drawn out minutes, Klaus was coming undone inside her. He pumped a few more times until he came down from his own high and then pulled out of her.

Klaus rolled off her and onto the bed beside. Caroline rolled onto her side, eying him; he looked almost at peace and happy with a small smile playing at his lips. She leaned over giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Klaus opened his eyes and got up off the bed, disposing of the condom. He climbed back into bed and under the covers, pulling Caroline with him. She settled up against him, her head on his chest with his arm wrapped protectively around her.

Caroline hadn't felt this sated from sex in a long time and if she was honest with herself it was the best sex she had ever had. This man under her could have possibly ruined her for all other men. She didn't let the thought bother her too much for she was exhausted and she was feeling herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

Caroline awoke with a start, her eyes springing open. She found herself lying on a hard, unfamiliar chest. She looked up to see the man fast asleep. She smiled to herself as she remembered details from the night before.

The sun was shining through the open window and when she looked over to see the clock on the bedside table read ten o'clock she nearly jumped out of bed. Caroline scrambled around the room as she threw on her panties and bra. When she exited the bedroom she found her dress discarded on the floor next to a blue dress shirt. Carline quickly pulled her dress on and snuck out of the apartment.

When she made her way out to the street she felt the hot summer air already begin to beat down on her. Caroline looked around noticing she was in a noticeable neighbourhood. She sent a silent prayer to the gods, thanking that she was within walking distance of her home.

As she walked along the busy streets, Caroline tried patting down her sex hair. It felt like all the people passing her by cold tell just by looking at her that she was doing the walk of shame.

However, Caroline paid them no mind for she was already home. She hesitantly walked through the front door, thankful that it was unlocked. She didn't know what she was coming home to, if she would get a scolding or not.

The moment she walked through the front door, Caroline heard a familiar voice call for her. "Mommy!" The voice yelled as a small boy came barrelling around the corner and jumped right into her arms. She caught him and lifted him up for a hug. "I missed you."

She smiled brushing his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. His blue eyes looked up into her own, they held so much love and excitement. "I know, I missed you too."

* * *

**A/N: Clifhanger? What happens next? Caroline has a son? What will Klaus think when he finds an empty bed?**

**This popped my M-Rated cherry, yay! Tell me how I did, if you liked it or if it was alright or horrible. Let me know what you think! **

**So I literally just randomly began to write this without really knowing why or how. It just flowed right out and I couldn't stop writing. This will be maybe a five-shot piece, nothing too long.**

**If you read my other fic, Born to Run, I have been stuck on the beginning of next chapter with writers block. But hopefully this fic helped and I can continue writing the next chapter again. So please be patient with me.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything._

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Klaus awoke to the sound of the front door shutting quietly; he looked up to see that it was still early and rolled over in the bed to fall back asleep. However, when he rolled onto his front he was met with nothing but an empty bed. Klaus extended his hand, rubbing the bed but as met with nothing.

He rubbed his eyes as he recollected from the night before, he was pretty sure there was supposed to be a sleeping Caroline there. Rolling onto his back he snuck a peak at the clock on his bed side table reading it was just after ten. Klaus pushed himself off the bed and walked into the en suite, jumping into the shower.

Once finished he got dressed into a pair of jeans and white Henley. He made his way into the kitchen starting a pot of coffee and breakfast, relishing in the quiet of his apartment. The more he moved the more he felt hangover which was not pleasant.

A loud ringing from a cell phone came from the other room causing Klaus to grumble and grab at his head feeling the full force of his hang over. His head was pounding from either getting no sleep or from drinking too much the night before. It didn't matter, he threw back two advil and downed a glass of water.

After grabbing the morning paper from outside his door, Klaus sat at the kitchen island reading and eating. His thoughts drifted back from the night before to dancing with Caroline and how they ended up in his bed. He felt something stir within him just thinking about the blonde beauty and he wasn't really sure what it was.

He had to admit he was disappointed he found she had left in the morning. Although Klaus was never one for the awkward morning after conversation, he wouldn't have minded it with Caroline. He would have persuaded her to go another round, cook her breakfast, maybe beg her to stay in bed all day and in the end get her number.

These feelings were foreign to Klaus, he didn't do relationships or love. Love was a weakness. Yet he could see it all being worth it if it was Caroline that was his weakness. There was something about this woman, she had barely said five words to him all night but he felt some kind of connection to her, like he was drawn to her.

Klaus heard the front door open to his apartment with two sets of feet walking around the corner and into the kitchen. "I see you're still alive, brother," Kol joked as he plopped down on the stool beside him pinching a piece of toast.

"I don't see what is so appealing about going to a club." Elijah, their older brother added disapprovingly.

"We all can't have the perfect wife, can we 'Lijah?" Kol smirked. Elijah had been married for a year to Katherine and they had the perfect life, he a lawyer and her a socialite who planned events.

"I suppose not." Elijah replied curtly. Even if it was a Sunday morning, he was wearing a suit, typical Elijah.

"So where did you go off to last night, Mate?" Klaus asked his younger brother.

Kol had a glint in his eyes and the faintest smirk. "I had quite the time with Bonnie. I was right; she was a tasty little thing." Both older brothers rolled their eyes at the comment. "Thank you for keeping the friend occupied. Tell me, Nik, what did you end up doing with her?"

"None of your business."

Kol looked around to see it in disarray; his shirt still sat in a heap on the floor and the bedroom was a mess with covers and clothes thrown about. Klaus had always been neat, keeping things in place and having the perfect apartment. However, after his eventful night with the lovely Caroline that was not how his apartment appeared to be at that moment.

"Did you bring the girl home?"

"Kol-"

Klaus didn't bother responding and just pushed Kol off the stool and finished eating his breakfast. Elijah laughed from beside him while Kol pouted on the floor.

"Harsh, brother." The younger Mikaelson grumbled.

"I believe you deserved it." Elijah said, raising an eyebrow.

Kol rolled his eyes and climbed back onto the stool. The three talked about work, family and friends, everything and nothing at the same time. It was a weekly thing they liked to do as brothers to stay close to one another. They all had busy lives with Elijah as a lawyer, Kol as a party boy and Klaus as an uninspired painter.

They had a sister as well, Rebekah, who they often spoke to and had dinners with. Yet, it wasn't the same with her around. She would scold them if Kol spoke dirty things or Klaus swore or Elijah sat there with his phone out texting Katherine. This was their time as men to bond without their younger sister around.

A few hours later Klaus found himself saying goodbye to his brothers and began to clean up the apartment. However, he didn't get very far for her practically went straight to his studio. He sat down at the abandoned canvas from the night before after preparing paints that he felt like using. He stared at the blank canvas a second before setting to work.

When he came up for air after ruthlessly painting he saw what he had been working on for the last hour. In front of him was a half painted piece of Caroline smiling, her blue eyes glowing and blonde hair flowing freely around her face. He took it all in before beginning to paint again, hoping to finish it before dinner.

Not a moment after he began to paint again the sound of a cell phone began to ring throughout the apartment, the same sound as the morning. Klaus gently put down his paintbrush and followed the sound into the living room.

He found the source of the sound, a purse that was sitting on the small table that stood at the side of the door. Confused, Klaus opened it and saw it must have been Carolines'. Klaus inspected the contents; there was a wallet, cell phone, tube of lipstick and a compact mirror. He opened her wallet to find her license and noticed she lived only a few blocks from his house.

Klaus scooped up his keys from the same table and headed out of his apartment and towards Caroline with her belongings in hand. He had this stupid smile on his face as he walked down the street and felt this weird sensation in the pit of his stomach. Klaus brushed it off, feeling excited more than nervous.

* * *

Caroline set her son down and crouched down, pulling him into her. She had missed her son, even if she was only gone for the night. She heard footsteps enter the room and she stood up and saw Stefan.

"Where have you been all night, Care?" He asked seriously.

"At Bonnies'" She replied quickly. Stefan stepped forward and brought her in for a hug; she saw his smirk and knew he wasn't mad.

"Whatever you say, sister." He said and she could almost hear his eyes roll.

She pulled back to see her son staring up at them with a wide smile on his face, obviously happy his mother was home. "Hey, Sweetie, why don't you go make some breakfast with Uncle Stefan while I go and get cleaned up." He nodded eagerly and ran into the kitchen. "How was he?"

"Nate was a perfect angel like always."

Caroline raised her eyebrow and snorted, "We're talking about the same four year old, right? There's a lot of things to describe that child and angel is not one of them."

Stefan laughed, "I know. He sent Bekah running for the hills last night when he brought his snake out to play."

She couldn't help but laugh, picturing her sister in law screaming and squirming trying to get away from Nate chasing her with a snake. "That poor girl, Nate has always had it in for her."

"He loves her in his own way." He said and Caroline nodded, knowing it was true. "I better get in there to prevent any messes that he's probably gotten himself into."

Stefan left Caroline in the entryway and she stood there listening to their voices echo through the large brownstone. Caroline made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom, collapsing onto her bed. She closed her eyes as her thoughts drifted back to the night before.

_Caroline had soon gotten to sleep when she was woken up by Klaus rubbing his hand up and down her back slow and leisurely. She poked her head up to see him staring down at her. He rolled over so he was on top of her his nose barely touching hers._

_Klaus leaned down, his rough cheek tickling her smooth one. He placed a hot kiss on the side of her neck, her loving the feel of his body pressed against hers. Caroline ran her hands down his back and moved them around drawing patterns. _

_He pulled back and placed his mouth beside her ear, biting the lobe. His hot breath against her ear sent shivers running down her spine._

_"You are irresistible." He whispered as he ran his hands down the side of her body and back up her front, stopping at her breasts and massaging both. Caroline blushed at his comment, he noticed and moved his hand to brush her cheek. "You're beautiful, Caroline."_

_Caroline shook her head slightly and he went to protest but she pulled his head down to hers and her lips crashed onto his. He responded immediately but brought the kiss from passionate and hungry to slow and languid._

_Klaus broke the kiss as he began to kiss down her neck to her collarbone. He took each nipple in one hand, rolling it between thumb and forefinger. He nipped at her collarbone and eventually moved down her body, his hands following suit until he stopped, gripping her hips. _

_Klaus pulled up, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he looked over her body. "I didn't notice these before." He said, running his hands over two tattoos that were on her body. _

_"That's because we were a little busy." She smirked, watching as he studied the art. _

_One was the date, August 12, 2007, set in roman numerals on the left side of her ribs by her heart. The second one was on the side of her right thigh just under her hip and was of a grey wolf done in black, white and grey ink with piercing blue eyes. _

_Klaus ran his fingers softly over the wolf as he looked up with questioning eyes, "why a wolf?"_

_"They mean family, loyalty, strength, power; lots of things really all which are really important to me." She shrugged. _

_He smiled, "it's incredibly sexy." His raspy, accented voice suddenly in her ear, his face beside her again._

_ Caroline was filled with want and all Klaus wanted was to talk, she did not wake up for this. So she placed her palms on his shoulders and pushed him back onto the mattress, rolling over and on top of him. She was straddling him as she leaned down to kiss him, her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth. He obliged and she deepened the kiss, grinding down onto him._

_She felt him harden under her but she decided to play his game. She tore her lips from his down his hard chest, dragging her nails down his arms as she gripped his wrists to hold them down at her side. _

_Caroline made her way back up his body and began to torture him by sucking and nipping at the base of his neck. Klaus groaned under her and she smirked before continuing her ministrations but this time on his collarbone._

_She made sure not to spend too much time in one place, moving across his body and then down to his hardened length. She slipped her lips over the tip while her one hand was at the base. Klaus let out a loud groan at the sensation. She swirled her tongue around the tip but before she could get go any farther Klaus pulled her up to him._

_"I need you now." He said a little breathlessly. Caroline smiled in triumph as she gave him a peck on the lips and reached to the side table grabbing a foil packet. She quickly slipped the condom onto his length. _

_Caroline settled him at her entrance and slowly sunk onto him. Klaus grabbed her hips and began to move her up and down. He met her thrust for thrust, their movements slow and drawn out. _

_She leaned down to capture his lips with hers, their tongues battling for dominance. Caroline laced her hands into his hair tugging at him to bring him sitting up with her. Their chests were pressed together with one arm wrapped around his neck holding him to her. _

_Caroline let out a drawn out moan when her legs wrapped around his waist allowing him to go deeper. She revelled in the full feeling and him so close to her. _

_She began to move faster, their moans mingling together. Her forehead rested on his, his eyes boring into hers. The air around them felt electric nd intimate, something that wasn't felt previously that night._

_Caroline gasped when she felt his hands move down to cup her ass, lifting her up so he hit deeper inside of her. Her clit rubbed against his pelvic bone as she met him thrust for thrust. She felt the familiar coil tightening low in her stomach as she felt herself reaching the edge. _

_Their movements were steady as they both reached the edge, Klaus thrusting into her as she reached her climax and fell of the edge. This time it took what felt like minutes to come back down to earth. When she had Klaus was finished himself, crying out in pleasure. _

_Klaus slowed his movements and Caroline rested her forehead onto his shoulder, exhausted. "That was…"_

_"Amazing." He finished for her._

_"Amazing." She agreed as she leaned back and kissed him again. _

* * *

Caroline felt like she had been alone in her room for hours reminiscing on her experience from the night before. Yet, it had only been a few minutes and she couldn't hide the stupid grin that had crept onto her face. The sex with Klaus was truly amazing, best she ever had but he would never know that.

She squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out images from the night but couldn't help but want to relive every single moment. Caroline felt the bed sink down beside her but kept her eyes closed.

"Go away," she muttered, her hand flying out to push whoever it was off the bed. The body didn't move but giggled back.

"I take it you had a good night?" Bonnie asked.

Carolines' eyes shot open and were met with two green eyes staring down at her. "Mine? How was yours you left pretty quickly."

"It was pretty incredible."

"Deatails!" Caroline shrieked.

Bonnies' hands flew up to her ears, "volume, Care."

"Sorry," she blushed then nudged her best friend. "So tell me all the dirty details, woman."

"His name's Kol, he's British and an incredible kisser. We maybe danced for a few songs before I dragged him out of there. We went back to my place and were up all night, if you know what I mean." The brunette winked and giggled. "How was your night?"

"Alright." Caroline shrugged.

"What'd you end up doing?"

"Came home a little while after you left." She lied hoping Bonnie would buy it.

Bonnie rolled her eyes "If that's the story you're going with." Carolines' jaw dropped and Bonnie let out a laugh. "I saw the hottie that was hitting on you last night. I know you went home with him."

"I didn't. I'm a respectable mother who has no time for one night stands." Caroline stated while her friend rolled her eyes again.

"I guess that explains why you're still in your dress from last night?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to go shower." Caroline said, ignoring the question and headed into her bathroom to shower.

She was relieved when she finished getting ready that Bonnie had left her bedroom, probably downstairs eating breakfast. Caroline slowly got dressed as she scanned the rows of picture frames on her dresser.

There were many of her and Nate and Stefan, the three lived together and did everything together. He technically wasn't her brother but was the closest things she had to one. Caroline had no family and neither did Stefan and when Damon died they formed a bond that would never be broken.

A lone picture frame sat at the back of Damon, his icy blue eyes staring up at her with his signature smirk playing across his lips. Sticking on top of the picture was a small picture of Nate as a baby with the very same blue eyes as his father in the photograph behind.

Caroline felt her heart break, a son who would never know their father. Caroline had wanted better for son after she had too grown up without a father figure. However, Nate was lucky and that Stefan played the role of father more often than Caroline could count. Stefan truly was a blessing in her life.

She was able to tear herself away from all the pictures and heartache and made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Stefan, Nate and Bonnie sat at the table eating their breakfast which looked like waffles. Thankfully a place had been set for her and two waffles sat on the plate waiting for her.

Caroline silently sat down and began to eat her breakfast. Lucky for her she didn't get hangovers which meant no headaches and she had her appetite. Bonnie looked relieved as she ate her sausages, needing the greasy food to state her hangover.

"I never want you to ever leave again, Momma." Nate said looking up at her with sad blue eyes.

Caroline felt her heart break in two at his statement. She rarely left her son to go out but Bonnie had dragged her out last night claiming it was an emergency and she needed to have fun. She regretted that she let things get so far out of hand with Klaus, while she was with him she should have been at home with her son.

"Why's that, baby?" She asked as she smoothed his hair down and pushed it out of his eyes.

"Because Aunt Bekah is mean," he pouted.

"Maybe that's because you chased her around the house with your snake." She said sharply.

Nate turned in his seat to look at his uncle who was sitting on the other side of him. "You told on me?"

"Nate-" Stefan started but was interrupted by Caroline.

"What did I tell you about your snake, Nathanial?"

"To keep it in its cage." He replied sadly.

"And?"

"Not to chase Aunt Beckah with it." Nate finished.

"That's right. You'll apologize to her when you see her next, why don't you go play with your cars in the family room?" She suggested.

Nate nodded and jumped off his chair, giving her a hug around her waist. "I'm sorry, Mommy; I love you."

"I love you, too." She said and watched him run out of the kitchen and into the next room. She heard the familiar sounds of a bucket being dumped and toys spilling out and onto the carpet.

"You're so good with him, Care." Bonnie said as she shovelled a forkful of waffles into her mouth.

Caroline reached over and squeezed her hand, "thanks, Bon." She turned her attention to Stefan, letting her friend finish eating to cure her hangover. "I'm sorry about last night, Becks must be furious."

"She was but I calmed her down. You know how much she loves Nate."

Caroline smiled, "I do, like an aunt. So when are you going to pop the big question?"

"Soon," he replied. "I got a ring picked out all I'm waiting for is the right time."

Her mouth fell open at the confession, "no way!"

Stefan chuckled, "and you'll get to be the best man at our wedding."

"I would love to see that," Bonnie piped up. Caroline shot her a look and rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"I would love that." Caroline said happily as she patted his hand.

When they were finished with breakfast Stefan and Caroline said farewell to Bonnie who needed to return home. Caroline and Stefan put on a movie in the family room, Nate sitting between the two. He had decided on Monsters Inc. something he had seen a thousand times before but had never grown tired of the movie.

Stefan and Caroline quietly watched the movie while Nate impersonated Mike Wazowski. He had it almost down perfectly, knew practically every line. But before the movie had ended Nate was back up bouncing around the house. Stefan and Caroline let him run around, hoping he would tire himself out before his afternoon nap. That child had an endless amount of energy, most the time Caroline didn't even know where he got it from.

* * *

Klaus made his way up the front steps of the brownstone; it towered over him which was slightly daunting. It was clear from that she was from money seeing as she had a fancy house in the middle of the city. Of course Klaus had money as well, inherited from his family but he never enjoyed the company of the rich. They were pretentious and narcissistic, not his type of people.

He knocked on the door nervously as he held her purse in his hand. Klaus was surprised when a little boy opened the door looking up t him with expressive blue eyes, practically identical to Carolines'.

"Hello," he said smiling down at the young boy.

"What do you want?" The boy asked rudely.

Klaus was taken aback by the kids' attitude, "excuse me?"

"You talk funny!" He laughed and then slammed the door in his face.

He shook his head trying to figure out if that had actually happened, which to his surprise it had. Klaus gained some courage and knocked again. This time the door opened moments later by a familiar man.

"Stefan?" Klaus asked, confused as to why his practically brother-in-law was at Carolines' house.

"Klaus? What are you doing here, Bekah's not here and how do you even know where I live?" He questioned furrowing his brow.

"You live here?"

"Yes." Stefan answered.

"Is the boy yours?"

The other man laughed a hearty laugh as he doubled over in amusement. "He's my nephew."

"Does a Caroline live here?" Klaus asked.

"What do you want with Caroline?" Stefan took a step closer to Klaus in a threatening manner.

He wasn't able to answer because the next second Caroline was in the door way "Stefan, who are you talking to?" Stefan stepped to the side so Caroline could see Klaus standing there on her doorstep. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I want to know." Stefan said.

Caroline placed a hand on his back in comfort, "I got this, why don't you go see what Nate's getting into." Stefan nodded and passed Caroline retreating back into the house. She closed the door after him as she stepped out to confront Klaus. "May I help you with something?"

"You forgot your purse." Klaus answered innocently as he held up the purse she didn't even know she was missing.

Caroline blushed as she snatched the purse from his hands. "Well thank you," She said and turned to go back inside.

Klaus grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him again, "would you like to go on a date with me sometime? I proper date like possibly dinner or a movie?"

"I don't think so." Caroline replied dryly, narrowing her eyes.

She made to go make her way inside and Klaus called out to her, "I'll call you."

"Don't bother." She snapped as she went back inside slamming the door behind her.

Klaus smirked, taking it as a challenge instead of a rejection. He was intrigued by this woman, she hadn't told her much about herself and he craved to know more. He assumed that was her son earlier and Stefan was her brother?

Klaus was confused about the details, he made a note to question Rebekah about the little family, she would obviously know the answers seeing as she was dating Stefan. If she was dating Stefan then she had to know Caroline and the little boy.

He wasn't discouraged by the encounter. Klaus pulled out his phone and sent her a short text telling her he had the perfect plce to take her for their first date.

Her reply was: _I'm too smart to be seduced by you._

It was definitely going to be a challenge with Caroline, to win her over, but he knew she was worth it. All he wanted was for her to be wrapped up in his arms again and he was going to make it happen no matter how long it took.

* * *

**A/N: So Klaus is going to woo Caroline? Will she give in? What about her son? Who's the father? Where is he? **

**So today is my birthday and I felt like I would give you guys a little treat seeing as I left the last chapter off with a cliffhanger. Thank you for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing I really appreciate it. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions and even suggestions!**

**I am going to update my other fanfic (Born to Run) next so this may not be updated for another week. Hang in there, it'll be worth it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you, every single person who read, reviewed, favourited, or followed, I really appreciate it all and love hearing everyones thoughts. Glad your all enjoying it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"You slept with Klaus Mikaelson?" Stefan asked when she returned into the house, purse in hand. She looked up at him, blushing. "Really, Care? What happened to staying at Bonnies?"

"Bonnie went home with some guy! I was slightly drunk and it was all just a mistake okay?" Caroline cried throwing her hands up in the air out of frustration.

He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "Sorry, Care. You know he is Rebekahs' brother and when she gets wind of this she's not going to be happy."

"They're related? Oh god." She groaned as she hid her head in shame.

"It's alright, Care, I'll make sure she goes easy on you."

"Thanks, Stef." She replied half distracted as she pulled her vibrating phone out of her purse. There was a few missed calls and one unopened text message from Klaus. Apparently he took the time to exchange numbers.

She opened it and almost laughed out loud when she read the text. It read: _Take a chance, get to know me. I know the perfect place for a date, almost as beautiful as you._

Caroline snorted and typed away her response: _I'm too smart to be seduced by you. _

Stefan was watching her closely and raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What's so funny?"

Caroline was about to respond with a witty remark but a loud crash echoed throughout the large house which came from the kitchen. It was followed by piercing wails. Caroline quickly pulled away and ran towards the sounds, her heart beating fast in her chest.

When she entered the kitchen with Stefan right behind her, they saw a small body crying on the floor with the cookie jar smashed to pieces around him. Caroline flew to her son, placing him onto her lap she inspected for injuries. "Are you okay?" She asked as calmly as she could, her hands running over his head and body.

Nate nodded in reply and cried louder, Caroline scooped him up in her arms and holding him tight to her. "It's okay, baby," she soothed rubbing small circles on his back.

Stefan stepped around them and began to clean up the mess on the floor. Nate cried into her shoulder, wiping his nose onto her clean shirt. "I'm sorry, Mommy, I just wanted a cookie."

"You should have asked me first, you could have hurt yourself." She scolded lightly.

"I'm okay." He said calmly as he shed the last of his tears. Nate climbed out of her arms and walked to Stefan, whipping his eyes he held one hand out to his uncle.

Stefan picked him up and held him close, Nate rested his head on his uncles' shoulder. "I'm sorry for messing up your kitchen, Uncle Stefan."

"It's okay, buddy." He whispered, looking over the kitchen that had now been cleaned up.

Caroline walked over to the two. She noticed Nate fighting to stay awake but eventually he fell in unconsciousness. Caroline kissed the top of his head, "I think it's time for his nap."

"I think so too," Stefan agreed, feeling his nephew go limp in his arms. So Caroline followed Stefan up the stairs and into the first room on the right which happened to be Nate's room.

The walls were a medium blue with animal wall paper strip running around the top. His bed sat in the middle with dark blue sheets with many stuffed animals on top. In one corner sat his tank with his snake, Percy; it was a small thing just over a foot in length. A wooden bookshelf was by the large bay window which overlooked onto the backyard. Pictures framed the wall, all of family or drawings of his favourite things.

Stefan placed Nate safely into his bed; Caroline pulled the blankets up to his chin and kissed him on the forehead with Stefan following suit. The two retreated out of the room, leaving the door open so they could hear for any problems. Having an open house worked to their advantage, one could always hear anything going on from any room in the house.

Caroline made her way down the stairs and back into the kitchen, quickly grabbing things out of the cupboards and placing them on the counter. She set the oven to temperature and set to work on mixing the ingredients.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked from behind her.

Caroline turned around to see him studying her, she shrugged, "what does it look like? I'm baking."

He laughed, "you don't bake."

"Well I'm baking now." She answered annoyed as she turned around to stir the wet ingredients that were in the large bowl.

Stefan walked cautiously towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Care, what's wrong?"

She turned around and sighed frustrated, "nothing."

"Something's wrong, your baking and you can't bake."

"I can too!" Caroline squealed, punching his shoulder. "Nate will want a cookie when he wakes up and seeing as he dumped them all on the floor I have to make new ones. You know I like to bake."

"Only when you're upset about something; so what's going on?" Stefan asked his voice full of concern.

"I feel terrible for spending the night at some guys' house when I should have been home with my son. Nate is supposed to come first and last night I put myself before him and I shouldn't have." She explained. "I'm a horrible mother."

Stefan chuckled, "you're not a horrible mother. You deserve at least one night out every once in a while, Caroline. Nate is getting older; he doesn't need his mother around all the time. Besides he loves his uncle Stefan."

"Well I'm never leaving him again." She huffed turning around to face the counter which held her bowl of ingredients. Caroline added the remaining ingredients and began to stir furiously.

"You can't be with him every second of the day."

"It's the least I can do." She said simply but implying so much more. Caroline turned around again to finish her batch of cookies; they were to be ready for the time Nate woke up from his nap.

After the cookies were placed into the oven and the timer set Caroline joined Stefan in the family room. As she sat down on the couch Caroline felt her phone vibrate indicating another text message. When she opened it her heart skipped a beat and stomach flipped at who the sender was and what the message said.

_I believe I already had the pleasure to seduce you. _

Caroline paled at the message and mentally face palmed, not believing he actually just said that. She sent quick text back in return.

Stefan seemed to notice the expression of disgust and embarrassment on her face. "Text message from Klaus?"

"What?" She asked confused, coming back to reality and the fact that Stefan was talking to her.

"I heard he asked you on a date." Stefan stated in a non-threatening and more curious demeanour.

"It was nothing."

Stefan chuckled at her attempt to brush it off so easily. "Didn't sound like 'nothing'. First you sleep with the guy and now you won't even go on a date?"

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I would dislike any guy who tries to take you away from me. But, Klaus? He's a good guy, Care. Really cares for his family and would be good for you and Nate."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "you know I don't date, Stefan."

"I know but maybe this could be an exception to one of your rules." He cajoled.

"I already broke one too many rules with him already, I'm not budging on this one." She said annoyed and got up off the couch, effectively ending the conversation.

* * *

Klaus quickly made his way to his sisters apartment knowing she was exactly who he needed to talk to at the moment. It was all making sense now, he remembered countless times of her talking about a Caroline and Nate. Though he had never heard about them he knew a few basic details about their lives. Such as Caroline being a single mother and living with Stefan.

That had put his mind to ease for the time being. It meant that he would be able to pursue Caroline until she gave into him. There was something about the blonde, something he was unfamiliar with that drew him to her. He wanted her, all of her, and he wasn't going to stop until she was his. He could be relentless when he wanted something and Klaus wanted Caroline.

He made it to her apartment on the other side of town in record time. Racing up to the top floor, he pounded onto the door non-stop waiting impatiently for her to open.

"What?" She yelled as she flung the door open.

"Hello, sister." He said smoothly as he glided past her and into the large apartment. It was a penthouse suite, putting his apartment which was a three bedroom and two bath to shame. It was decorated to her taste of white walls and black furniture.

"What do you want, Nik?" Rebekah asked annoyed as she followed him into the apartment. She pushed a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her blue eyes narrowed.

Klaus turned around with a small smile. "Tell me what you know about Caroline," he practically demanded.

"Caroline Forbes?" She questioned and he nodded. "How do you know, Caroline?" Then she noticed the small smirk and glimmer in his eyes, her jaw dropping in surprise. "Tell me you didn't! Tell me you didn't sleep with her, Nik!"

Klaus looked away and when he turned back to face his sister he had a huge smile on his face. Rebekah nearly crumbled at seeing him smile and look happy, the first time she's seen him like that in a long time. "Will you please just tell me everything you know?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes and nodded. She led him over to the black leather couch and sat down beside him. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He answered.

"Very specific, Nik. You know, it would be easier if you asked her yourself."

"Are you not a fan of the girl?" Klaus wondered.

"We're close but not as close as Stefan and her," Rebekah smiled. "She's a sister to him and I've known her since Nate was born. You do know she has a son, right?"

"Yes I had the pleasure of meeting him earlier today. Cheeky little thing."

"He is but very sweet when he wants to be but most of the time he's causing trouble. Stefan said he's just like his father which explains a lot if you knew Damon." She explained.

This spiked Klaus' interest, "What do you know about the father?"

"It's not my place to tell you about him, you'll have to ask her yourself. But he was Stefans' older brother and he's unfortunately not around. That's why Stefan and Caroline are so close. Why are you so interested in her, Nik?"

"I fancy her." He replied with the shrug of his shoulders.

Rebekah scoffed, "you barely know her."

"I intend to know much more about her when she gives me a chance."

"She won't, she doesn't date."

"Why?"

"It's something you'll have to ask her, Nik; it's none of my business."

"Bekah." He whined

"Niklaus." She mocked. "She has a child, you know. You can't just waltz into her life, Nate will always be there whether you like it or not."

"I know."

"You can't leave when things get tough because there is a little boy in the picture as well as Caroline. He will expect you to be around, you can't just get up and leave one day."

"I know." He snapped.

"I'm just making sure you know," she smirked. "I have my anniversary dinner with Stefan soon so I have to get ready." she said standing up. "Be careful with Caroline, Nik; don't hurt her or else not only will you have me after you but you'll have Stefan and Nate."

"I won't, Bekah." Klaus answered.

"Just think about things before you go and sweep her off her feet."

"Yes, dear sister." He stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving her apartment.

Their little chat shone a light on the enigma that was Caroline Forbes. Although it wasn't everything he wished to know, there was so much about her that was unknown.

Klaus pulled out his phone realizing he had one unread message. It was from Caroline and he smiled as he read it. She had sent him one word, _whatever. _Very mature, he laughed to himself clearly he was getting under her skin.

He made it back to his apartment and headed straight into his studio feeling the inspiration to paint. He set to work on a new piece after already finishing the one of Caroline.

This one was different than anything he had done before. It set in the woods at night, A wolf sat howling up at the full moon with a pup playing by its side. It was dark but not gloomy; there was a light coming off the wolves. He realized that the larger wolf was similar to the tattoo Caroline had on her thigh. He was beginning to notice his paintings revolve around one thing, or rather person.

Caroline.

* * *

Stefan found Caroline sitting on the back porch looking out onto the garden, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. He sat down beside her and bumped shoulders hoping to grab her attention.

She looked over at him with sad blue eyes, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's fine, sorry I pressured you." He replied as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Stef."

"About what?" Stefan questioned looking down at her to see a tear escape one of her closed lids.

"Everything. Klaus, Damon, turning into my mom."

Stefan reached down to wipe the stray tear with his thumb. "Damon would want you to move on, Care. He would want to see you happy and Nate happy. As for your mom? I don't think you'll end up like her; you've got a pretty solid head on your shoulders, you won't be repeating past mistakes."

"I feel like I already am." She confessed.

He shook his head, he put two fingers under her chin and brought her face up to his so they were eye to eye. "You're not, I promise. Nate loves you, I love you, Bonnie loves you, and even Bekah loves you. You have a great life here, Care and you are not repeating any of your mothers mistakes. I think you've learned from them, if anything."

Caroline smiled, "you're amazing you know that?"

"Me? Amazing? I don't believe it." He quipped.

"Well you are." She said and stood up pulling him up with her. "Come with me," Caroline demanded.

Stefan gave her a confused look but she didn't notice as she had already headed inside the house. Stefan shut the back door behind him and followed her up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Just follow me, I have something for you." Caroline replied walking into her bedroom and then her closet.

Stefan took a seat on her bed and peered into her closet, watching her dig through boxes on the floor that she had pulled off the top shelf. He watched on in amusement as she riffled through numerous boxes, sending belongs across the room with her mumbling under her breath.

"What are you looking for?" Stefan inquired.

"It's in here somewhere-found it!" Caroline shouted as she jumped up off the floor and ran back into the bedroom. She sat down beside Stefan, pulling her feet up under her.

Caroline grabbed his hand and opened it and placed a small box into his hand. "What is it?" He looked down to see it was a small dark blue ring box.

"Open it." She lightly commanded nodding down to the box.

Stefan slowly opened the box and saw an engagement ring; more specifically a princess cut diamond with a smaller diamond on either side set on a white gold band. It looked familiar, the one his mother had worn for many years and the one meant for Caroline.

"I think Damon would want you to have it." She whispered eyeing the ring in his hand.

"I can't take this, it's supposed to be yours."

Caroline shook her head, "I can't keep this, it wouldn't be right. It was never my ring. Besides, I think this would be perfect to give to Rebekah. It belonged to your mother, Stefan, both her and Damon would love for you to have it and give to your future wife."

Stefan looked down at the ring then up at Caroline, then back at the ring before settling on Caroline. He saw the determination and honesty in her blue eyes. She put her hand over his and closed the box, "give it to Rebekah tonight."

"Caroline-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer." She interrupted and shot him a small smile.

"Thank you so much."

"You deserve it, Stefan." Caroline said, standing up and pulling him into a hug.

His arms went around her and he squeezed her tight, "I love you, sister."

"Love you too, Stef." She pulled back and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now go get ready, Bekah will be here any minute."

* * *

Rebekah's was swarmed with thoughts of her brother. She had never seen that look in his eyes or heard the intensity and seriousness in his voice before. He really did fancy Caroline. Rebekah was going to do something about it, maybe get Stefan on her side; he could talk Caroline into anything.

She got to Stefan and Carolines' house and knocked on the door. She decided on wearing an elegant, knee-length olive green dress. Her hair was pinned up articulately around her face, the back falling in loose curls. She matched the outfit with black heels and a diamond necklace that Stefan had given her for last year's anniversary.

Nate opened the door and when he noticed who it was jumped into her arms. "Auntie Bekah!" He shouted.

"Hey, little guy." She laughed as she reacted fast and caught him, holding him close.

"I'm sorry about last night," he whispered into her ear.

"It's quite alright."

"I just wanted to show you how much Percy has grown since the last time you've seen him," Nate continued innocently.

"Next time you can show me with him still inside the cage." She said putting him down onto the ground.

"You look very pretty, Aunt Bekah." Nate remarked looking her up and down. The two heard footsteps walking down the stairs and saw it was Caroline. "Doesn't she look pretty, Mommy?"

"She looks beautiful." Caroline agreed when she reached the pair. "Did you apologize to Rebekah for chasing her with Percy?"

"Yes."

"Good," she patted down his hair which was sticking up all over the place from his nap earlier. "Why don't you go help Uncle Stefan finish getting ready?" Caroline suggested. Nate nodded and ran off up the stairs calling out to Stefan along the way.

"You really do look beautiful, Bex," Caroline said. "Sorry about last night, I always tell him he's not allowed to take Percy out without permission but he never listens. I swear he is more like his father every day."

Rebekah laughed, "it's fine, really, Nate keeps me on my toes."

"He does love you, in his own way and you're so good with him." Caroline smiled and ran over and hugged Rebekah. "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy."

The other blonde raised one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrow and was about to speak when Stefan walked down the stairs dressed in a crisp black suit with a white dress shirt and grey tie. He walked right over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Nate stood beside Caroline as he looked up at the couple. Then he pointed to his uncle and wiggled his index finger signalling for him to come closer. Rebekah and Caroline watched as Stefan crouched down as Nate whispered into his ear. Stefan smirked and nodded and stood back up when Nate was done.

He turned to Caroline and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't wait up."

"Don't worry, I won't." She smirked.

Stefan held out his fist and Nate bumped it with his own tiny one. "See you tomorrow, Uncle Stefan."

"Shall we?" Stefan held out his arm and Rebekah grabbed onto his elbow and the couple walked out of the house.

Caroline and Nate yelled their goodbyes in unison from the doorway. Rebekah turned and gave them a slight wave before turning back to Stefan. "So where to?"

"I was thinking about that little Italian restaurant where we had our first date?" He asked as they got into a hailed taxi cab.

"Sounds perfect," she replied kissing him on the lips.

* * *

Stefan sat across from Rebekah at their favourite restaurant, _Donatello's._ It was a small place but rather fancy, presenting only the finest of Italian cuisine. It had been where they had their very first date and their fondest memories.

He fiddled with his hands and could feel the little box sit inside his coat jacket. He was ecstatic that he had his mothers' ring but also a little saddened that Caroline didn't have a reason to wear it anymore. His was worried how Rebekah would react to having the ring been used before.

His girlfriend or future fiancé was eating her meal quietly when she suddenly stopped to look up at him. She had caught him staring at her, he couldn't help but watch her, smiling as he thought of their future together.

"What?" She asked when she noticed him staring.

"Nothing," he mumbled looking down at his plate of food and began to eat again.

"Did you know about my brother and Caroline?" She questioned.

"Yes, actually he showed up at the house today looking for her."

"He stopped by my place too asking all about Caroline."

"He didn't." Stefan shook his head which caused Rebekah to laugh.

She nodded, "he did."

"Why?" He asked.

"He fancy's her." She smirked. "To be honest I think they would be perfect for each other."

"I agree; Klaus is exactly what Care needs right now whether she thinks so or not." He paused looking at her as an idea came to mind. "And I have the perfect plan."

"Tell me!" Rebekah squealed hitting his forearm that rested to the side of their square table.

"Later, babe." He winked and returned his attention back to his food as he worked up the courage for what was to come next.

The couple talked about little things like work and family. Rebekah told him stories about Kol causing trouble and reminding her of slightly of Nate, in that he acts like a four year old most the time. She spoke about Elijah and Katherine and how they were trying for a baby. Stefan mostly talked about Nate, his greatest joy in life besides Caroline and her.

Conversation settled into a comfortable silence as they ate their desert, vanilla ice cream for her and chocolate cake for him. Stefan took a deep breath trying to conjure up all his strength for what was to come next. He set down his fork and looked at her pointedly, "Bekah, I think we need to talk."

Rebekah dropped the spoon she was holding and looked at him, shock registering on her face. Blue eyes bulging as fear crossed across her features after hearing those dreadful words.

"Oh, not like that." He backtracked. "That's not what I meant, I'm not breaking up with you but we need to talk." Stefan smiled weakly feeling the nerves rack his body, he placed his hand over top of hers.

Relief took over and Rebekah sighed and settled back into her chair after taking a sip of her wine.

"So I had this idea, and it came to me one of the early mornings we spent together at the beginning of our relationship. You had stayed over at my place and we had breakfast with Caroline and Nate, he must have been barely one at the time and he threw his bowl of yogurt at you. You didn't yell or get mad even though you had bits of strawberry in your hair and everyone was laughing at you."

"You were amazing, you never got upset with him and were always patient. You even understood my relationship with Caroline without jealousy or malice. Well that very morning, even though we had been dating for a few months, that was the moment I knew I was going to make you my wife."

Stefan stepped out from the table and kneeled down in front of her, grabbing her hand. "You know I love you right?" He asked and she nodded. "You know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, right?" She nodded again. Stefan smiled and pulled out the dark blue velvet box from inside his jacket pocket and opened it, "will you marry me, Rebekah Mikaelson?"

Rebekah nodded trying to blink back tears, "yes I'll marry you." Stefan quickly placed the ring on her finger and stood up, dragging her upwards off her chair with him and kissed her. The whole restaurant erupted into applause. "I love you, Stefan Salvatore."

"I love you, Rebekah Miakelson-soon-to-be-Salvatore." He replied capturing her lips with his for another heated kiss.

After a few minutes they were able to pull away and sat back down at their table. Both had huge smiles on their face and felt unbelievably happy. Rebekah sat there staring at her ring and Stefan sat there staring at his fiancé one hand on top of hers.

"The ring looks familiar." She said studying her finger where her new ring sat.

Stefan coughed suddenly feeling very nervous again, he wasn't sure how she would take to having a used ring. He cleared his throat, "the ring was my mothers, the same ring that Damon was going to give Caroline when he proposed to her. Caroline wanted you to have it, for it to stay in the family." He explained and then looked up to see her shocked expression, "Are you mad?"

Rebekah looked down at the ring again then back up at Stefan, she shook her head. "No, I'm honoured to wear it, to become a Salvatore," she replied with a grin.

Stefan sighed in relief and leaned forward and kissed the top of her hand that he was holding.

"So since we're engaged can you tell me this big plan for Klaus and Caroline?" Rebekah asked, fluttering her lashes.

"Engagement party," he winked leaving her to put the rest together. Rebekah nodded and smirked, knowing that would be the perfect place to start. He could already see the wheels turning in her head and that she was in planning mode.

* * *

**A/N: What's going to happen at this engagement party? What does Rebekah and Stefan have up their sleeves? **

**I would love any suggestions you have for next chapter, it should be a fun one, especially when it'll be including everyone! Let me know what you thought about this chapter, I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**I have one question, I only intended for this to be a five shot, would you like it to remain a five-shot and have a sequel OR just continue on with the story and make it more than five chapters. Let me know what you think. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and your lovely reviews and for following and favouriting. **

**This chapter is dedicated to chibichibi98 who has been amazing and gave me the ideas for this chapter and helped me figure things out. I really really appreciate it!**

**Disclaim: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

It had been a few weeks since Klaus had seen Caroline; things were beginning to change for his family. Rebekah was getting married to Stefan, Elijah and Katherine were having a baby. Henrik was going off to college in the fall for engineering and Finn, being the boring brother he was, was doing nothing special with his life.

Klaus had been working non-stop, selling paintings that he suddenly had the motivation and inspiration for. His gallery, which held not only his art but that of others, had been looking bare as of late. Thankfully he had gotten back into the swing of things and was having his paintings sell at top dollar.

Things were starting to look up for Klaus; all he needed was to have the girl of his dreams on his arms. Though Caroline was a work in progress, he had his sister on his side which helped his case. He had even heard his future brother-in-law was trying to persuade Caroline to go on a date with him.

The girl was relentless, saying: _'not all the Mikealson charm in the world would get me to go on a date with you.'_ Stefan had mentioned she was stubborn when she wanted to be and Klaus definitely saw how stubborn she was being over one date. Klaus didn't let it get to him, knowing eventually she would be his.

It was the weekend of Rebekah and Stefans' engagement party, which meant the remainder of his family would be arriving to town beforehand. It would be a family weekend, something he dreaded. Family reunions never turned out well, he had five other siblings, all of which liked to tear out each other's throats.

The Mikaelson family was unique. Kol was the instigator, Klaus the fighter, Rebekah the complainer, Elijah the voice of reason, Finn the quiet one and Henrik the naïve one. Their mother of course, caring as always, had been dubbed the sheep herder or referee. They grew up in a single parent household, one which prided itself on family first so everyone was extremely close.

Esther, their mother, remained in England with Henrik and Finns' family. Elijah was the first to move to the United States, for school, and when the others were old enough they followed along in their brothers footsteps; Klaus first then Kol and eventually Rebekah. Even though the family was separated, they would alternate on visiting, making sure visits were made twice a year.

So Klaus found himself waiting at the airport for his mother, Henrik, Finn, Sage and Alexa, their daughter. It was a Friday morning and the engagement was on Sunday which meant a weekend filled with family bonding. He knew there would be a family dinner planned for one night.

Klaus also planned on seeing Stefan before the party. In the past weeks, since the engagement the two of them were becoming fast friends. They had known each other for years because of Rebekah but never hung out without her. However, now he saw Stefan in another light, one that had no family and needed a brother.

"I'm finally reunited with my baby boy!" A voice shrilled from behind him. Klaus turned around only be engulfed into a set of arms. He hugged back, knowing it wasn't a stranger but rather his mother, Esther.

"I'm not a baby, mother." He replied with an eye roll.

She pulled back and held him out an arms distance and looked him up and down. "I guess not," she clucked with a shake of the head. "I missed you my dear boy."

"I missed you too."

"Niklaus," nodded a man from behind Esther, his brother Finn. Beside him stood a woman with fiery dark red hair, Sage, his wife with Alexa their daughter.

"Nik" Shouted another voice from behind the small group. He happened to push everyone away and practically tackled Klaus.

"Henrik, miss me?" He smirked, hugging his now grown brother.

"I guess I did." Henrik smiled, now almost eye to eye with Klaus and Finn.

"Come now, we must get to Bekahs' apartment or she'll have our heads. I'm having lunch with her and her lovely fiancé." Esther stated as she led the group out of the airport.

A half hour later the gang was at Rebekahs' apartment, which was large enough to hold the whole family. Rebekah greeted everyone at the door and showed them to their rooms. Finn, Sage and Alexa decided to stay in and get settled down as it was past Alexa's nap time.

"Mum, can Nik take me out?" Henrik asked with big brown puppy dog eyes.

Esther gave him a look before looking back up at Klaus who stood beside his younger brother. "Alright, but you keep him out of trouble, Nik."

"Yes, mother."

"Be careful with my baby." Esther addressed Klaus before she stepped forward and hugged Henrik, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He was taller than her by a few inches and old enough that he didn't need to be coddled by his mother but he let it happen anyways. "Have a good day, boys. Remember to be home for dinner!"

"I thought I moved out so I wouldn't be told what to do by my mother." Klaus remarked before pulling Henrik along behind him. He heard Esther laugh and she probably rolled her eyes too before turning all attention to Rebekah and her ring.

"Thank god I'm going off to school soon. I love her and everything but I'm eighteen, Nik, I'm not a baby anymore." Henrik sighed as they walked along the busy city streets.

Klaus looked over his brother and noticed that he really wasn't a baby anymore, though he would always be thought of one. Klaus was ten when Henrik was born and even though he's a man now he will always be the baby of the family.

Klaus through his arm over his shoulder and pulled him close while giving him a noogie, "you'll always be the baby of the family."

Henrik pulled away and flattened down his brown hair while shooting his older brother death glares. "So, what's this I hear about you having a crush on some girl?"

"Shut it." Klaus snapped, closing all doors to that conversation; no doubt his siblings rating him out about his feelings for Caroline.

"Fine." Henrik grumbled with a slight roll of the eyes. "So where we going?"

"I have to drop by the gallery and then I'll take you for lunch." Klaus said, smiling at his brother who just looked annoyed.

"I came all the way to America to sit around while you work? Not cool, brother."

"I have work to do, make a living for myself. Not all of us can get by on mothers' money." He replied dryly.

Henrik mumbled something under his breath as he followed his brother into his gallery, _Original Design_. Klaus went straight to the back to his studio to finish a piece for a client, leaving Henrik in the store front to wonder around.

* * *

Caroline had just gotten a call from work telling her that they needed her immediately. She rarely went into work for she was allowed to work from home; which worked well so she could take care of Nate and wouldn't need to be put into day care. On rare days she would get called in, but never on short notice.

She worked as a columnist for one of the leading newspapers in the city. Often she wrote about trending topics and things going on in the city or she would answer questions. Her column was in the paper twice a week, supporting her and allowing her to spend time with her son.

"Natie, I need you to grab your things, you're going to spend the day with Aunt Bonnie." She yelled as she rushed past his doorway, trying to collect her work items.

Caroline scrambled around the house, not remembering where she last put her laptop. She heard the doorbell ring but ignored it and ran through the house at top speed.

* * *

Rebekah and Esther talked the whole way to Stefans' house while Rebekah pointed out things about the city. Of course, Esther had visited her before but never walked the streets or took in the culture. So Rebekah was surprised when her mother asked to walk and talk.

She had always been close with Esther, only because she was the only girl. However, at times it was hard to receive attention, especially when you have five other siblings and most of them were trouble makers.

"So tell me about Stefan." Esther said after a few minutes of silence. The two were walking side by side along the busy streets and storefronts. Esther gazed around taking the view in. Her being from a small town outside London had her not very comfortable with the big city and crowds.

"I've told you many things about him, mother."

"I know but just trivial things, I really want to get to know the man who wants to marry my daughter. Besides you've hidden him from me for the past few years so I really have no idea about him."

Rebekah groaned, "mother, be nice to him."

"Yes, dear." She teased. "So how is work going?"

"I'm between jobs right now." The blonde muttered praying her mother would drop the subject.

"Why, what happened?"

"Mother!"

"Is there anything that I can talk to you about without you snapping at me?" Her mother asked, hurt evident in her voice.

Rebekah felt bad, not meaning to be rude but her mother was being slightly intrusive on topics she didn't want to talk about. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, darling." Ester pulled her into her side, comforting her like only a mother could.

They approached the house and Rebekah felt the nerves gnaw at her from inside. She had kept her mother away from Stefan for years, knowing that she was the over bearing mother and always gave her boyfriends the third inquisition. Rebekah walked right into the house, Esther following suit.

The house was bustling with activity, mostly Caroline. Stefan sat in the family room, giving Rebekah a clear view of him sitting on the couch stuffing his face with a bag of chips.

Nate came rushing down the stairs next and ran straight to Rebekah and latched onto her legs. He looked up at her smiling, "hi, Aunt Bekah."

Rebekah reached down and picked him up, "hey, Nate." She could feel her mother's curious eyes on her so she turned around to introduce the two. "Mother this is Nathanial, Nate this is my mother."

Nate scrambled out of Rebekahs' arms and went straight to Esther, "hello." He held out her hand which she took appreciatively.

"Hello, Nathanial." Esther smiled as they shook hands.

"Nathanial Michael Salvatore, but you can call me Nate." He replied then his eyes grew wide, "would you like to come meet Percy?"

"Sure."

"No!" Rebekah yelled, grabbing onto her mothers' arm as she went to follow Nate up the stairs. "Maybe another time, Nate."

Stefan finally decided to get up off the couch and joined everyone in the front entry way. "Hey, Bex," he kissed her cheek and pulled back and stood behind Nate in front of Esther.

She could see her mother sizing him up but also comparing Nate to Stefan. Rebekah noticed it as Nate got older the more he looked like Stefan. They had the same shade of light brown hair and identical eye brows. But where Stefan had dark green eyes, Nate had blue ones. Their noses were similar, but Nate had Carolines' ears and lips.

If you didn't know the family personally, one would assume the child was Stefans'. Rebekah wanted to laugh at what must be going on through Esther's head.

Stefan held out his hand, "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Mikaelson."

"As you, Mr. Salvatore." She replied with slightly narrowed eyes, her eyeing him up and down, and already making judgments.

Before Stefan could say something or Rebekah to jump in to ease her mother's thoughts, a voice sounded throughout the house. "Stefan, have you seen my computer?"

"Check the office." He shouted back up the stairs.

Nate was still standing between Esther and Stefan, him looking up at her and her looking down at him with a small smile. A second later Caroline was flying down the stairs, briefcase and a child's backpack in hand. She quickly slipped on her heals, not noticing the stares from everyone in the room.

Caroline looked up to have four sets of eyes staring at her. She blushed and pushed away a blonde curl. "Hello, you must be Mrs. Mikaelson. I'm Caroline."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline." Esther smiled warmly back taking in the frazzled woman.

"Okay, Nate, let's go. Bonnie should be expecting us." Caroline said, ushering Nate to get his shoes on so they could go. "Sorry I'm interrupting. They called me into work half an hour ago and they know I have Nate and can't just come in at a moment's notice. Editors, I'm telling you." She ranted shaking her head.

"Editors? Where do you work?" Esther inquired.

"The Sun Daily Newspaper; I'm a columnist." She answered.

"I'm ready" Nate burst out and jumped into the air.

"Okay, say good bye to everyone." Caroline told and watched as he ran to every person in the room and gave them a hug, including Esther. Then he ran back to Caroline and she took his hand and dragged him out the door waving goodbye.

* * *

Stefan sat at a table in a small restaurant with Rebekah and Esther and the awkward silent was killing him. They had already eaten through their salad with minimal conversation. Esther asked him basic questions about work.

Esther folded her hands and set htem onto the table and stared right at Stefan who sat across from her. "So tell me about the boy."

Rebekah choked on her wine that she had been drinking at the very moment of the question. "Excuse me?"

"Nate, I'd like to know about your son." Esther replied seriously, not once taking his eyes off Stefan.

"He's not my son, he's my nephew." Stefan said with matching seriousness.

"And you live with Caroline and him?"

"Yes, my brother-" he began but took a breather, not wanting to go into details about his past but knowing Esther deserved to know.

"You don't have to tell her," Rebekah whispered, placing her hand on his arm.

Stefan shook his head, "Caroline was engaged to my brother, and they dated for a long time, throughout high school. She found out she was pregnant when she was nineteen and Damon was battling his life with cancer."

"I'm so sorry," Esther sympathized.

"He made me promise before he passed away that I would always take care of Caroline and Nate. Damon died a few days before his own son was born. I made good of his promise, still do. Caroline is like a sister to me, and I have stood by her side ever since." He explained and let out a breathe that he had been holding.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Esther repeated. "It was very honourable of you to take on such a task."

"I would do anything for my family, including Rebekah." He announced as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I think you would make a wonderful addition to the family, Stefan. I am happy to call you my future son-in-law." Esther praised.

Rebekah grinned, thankful for her understanding mother and amazing fiancé. Stefan knew he didn't owe Esther an explanation but he gave her one anyways, making Rebekah proud of him, knowing he never opened up to new people that fast.

They finished their lunch talking about family and children; Stefan and Rebekah filling in Esther all about their nephew and his mishaps while she tells them about Alexa, her only grandchild.

Stefan liked his new mother-in-law and saw how much of a proud mother she actually was. She spoke of all her childrens' achievements with high regard and even shared a few stories of a younger Rebekah. He knew they would get along famously and was happy that she was such an understanding and companionate woman.

* * *

Nate had been at her apartment for no less than five minutes and he had already taken to Kol. She had reconnected with him the night after the bar and in the past weeks they had hung out and went on many dates, finding they had a lot in common.

Kol was just like a child which was why he was getting along so well with Nate. The two sat on the floor, Nate whispering into his ear about Bonnie. Kol laughed along as he eyed his girlfriend who watched the two from the door way.

"What is he saying to you?" Bonnie asked Kol, her arms folded over her chest.

"Nothing, darling; just having a little chit chat." Kol smirked up at her.

Nate got up and walked towards her, "can we make some cookies?" His blue eyes were wide and his bottom lip stuck out, his puppy dog look coming out to play.

He was a smart kid, knew each family member well and knew how to get his way. "Sure thing, sweetie," Bonnie said and took his hand and led him into the kitchen. She picked him up and placed him onto the counter as she moved around the kitchen to grab supplies.

Kol joined them, sitting on a stool behind the breakfast bar when Nate was sitting. Her boyfriend had a smirk on his face and was eying Nate suspiciously.

"I'm keeping my eye on you two, so don't you think about trying anything." Bonnie proclaimed pointing a wooden spoon at Kol.

Bonnie and Nate set to work on the cookies as Kol watched on. When the batter was finished, Bonnie had turned her back to check the oven and Nate stuck his finger in and took a chunk and shoved it in his mouth.

"Bonnie, he's eating the dough, there won't be any left for the cookies, he's going to eat it all." Kol complained.

"No I didn't." Nate replied giving Kol cut eye.

"I saw you," Kol snapped.

Before Bonnie could step in Nate stuck his whole hand into the bowl and threw a handful of dough over at Kol.

"Nathanial!" Bonnie scolded while trying not to laugh. Kol had been hit in the forehead and had cookie dough sliding down his face.

Nate laughed at Kol, causing the older man to wipe his face and use the cookie dough thrown at him to throw back at Nate.

"Hey! No one throws cookie dough in my apartment!" Bonnie yelled over the laughter but was hit with a glob of cookie dough herself.

Bonnie began to laugh and threw her own chunk at Kol. A few more throws and it had turned into an all-out food fight. Flour was being thrown with an egg or two with the cookie dough.

Kol and Nate had ganged up on Bonnie, pouring the remaining flour on top of her head. That caused Bonnie to shriek and lunge at Nate and shake all the flour onto him. Kol fought her hard for Nate and eventually she had let go of him.

Nate ran away from both of them and turned to run down her hallway that led to the bathroom and bedrooms. Bonnie saw a glimpse of Nate putting his hand to the wall and shouted, "Nathanial, don't you dare put your hands on my walls"

She caught up to him and saw that no harm was done but he had a smirk on his face as he held his hand within inches of the white wall. "Do it, mate" Kol yelled from behind her. Bonnie turned and glared, giving Nate that one second to plant his hand on the wall and take off running.

"I am going to kill you, Kol!" She punched his shoulder and shot him a dirty look.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"For encouraging him!" She yelled and stormed off to find Nate.

An hour later the mess had been cleaned up and everyone was changed into clean clothes. Bonnie decided on watching a movie and Nate had chosen to sit with Kol, telling Bonnie he was disappointed in her.

Bonnie herself was mad at Nate and Kol so she liked the distance. A few minutes after the movie had started Nate had fallen asleep curled up against Kol.

"I'm really sorry, Bonnie." Kol whispered to her so he wouldn't wake the sleeping boy up. She didn't respond or even look his way. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She finally gave in and turned to face him, "you have a lot of grovelling to do."

"I know."

"You can't encourage him like that, Kol."

"I know."

"He's a child and you're an adult."

"I know," He repeated. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, just don't do that again in my home, maybe Rebekah's or Caroline's, just not here. You know I hate cleaning." Bonnie finished.

"Alright, darling."

* * *

The next night the family of the family of nine sat down together at one of the finest restaurants in the city to Klaus' suggestion. Klaus sat at one end of the long table with Rebekah, Elijah, Kol and Henrik while Esther sat with Finn, Sage and Alexa.

Esther was busy listening to a story from Alexa while Finn and Sage added in the odd comment. The others, who were closest to each other in the large family talked amongst themselves about other things as they ate their dinners.

"So, mother, did you approve of Stefan to be our darling Rebekah's husband?" Kol asked, cutting through all conversations at the table.

"As a matter of fact I did, he's a lovely man." Esther replied.

"Did you happen to meet Caroline? She's to be the next one welcomed to the family." Kol smirked, receiving glares from Klaus.

"Kol-" Klaus began but was interrupted but Esther.

"Oh really, is this the girl I've heard you've taken a liking to, Niklaus?" She asked.

"Oh yes, you should hear him, he talks about her all the time." Kol joked.

Klaus had had enough of Kol and threw a few peas at him from across the table. "What are we five, Nik?" Rebekah quipped.

"You're just mad because it's true." Kol said.

Klaus stood up from his chair and reached over the table to grab at Kol and had his hands on his closed and pulled over the table. Elijah stood up trying to pull them apart with Henrik helping.

The two men were throwing insults at each other and had caused a scene. Finn and Sage looked down in embarrassment while Alexa and Rebekah looked on in amusement.

"Enough!" Esther bellowed causing the four boys to stop what they were doing and look at her. "Sit down, finish your supper and keep your hands to yourself. All of you are acting like you're five."

Everyone followed what they were told, sitting down and ate their meals in peace. Esther sighed inwardly, no matter how old they were they were always going to want to tear each other's throats out. Throughout their whole lives she has had to play peacekeeper amongst them and had become accustomed to the roll.

"So, Niklaus, tell me about this girl." Esther finally said once everyone had calmed down. Kol opened his mouth to speak but she shot him one look and he closed it again.

Klaus groaned, "her name is Caroline."

* * *

**A/N: What did you think of all the family moments? Do you like how good Esther is? What about Damon? What about Nate and Kol? **

**There will be Klaroline next chapter guarenteed! I needed to add this one in and I hope you liked it. This story will have Kennet, Kalijah and Stebekah scenes but mainly Klaroline. **

**Lastly, this story will continue on after the five chapters. I have so many great ideas and you all seem to love it so I couldn't possibly just end it on you. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Happy Canada Day for my fellow Canadians, hope you had a good day. Thank you for all your kind reviews and reading, favouriting and following. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Caroline had been stressing over the engagement party for the past few weeks. Rebekah had officially dubbed her the maid of honour minutes after the proposal, something Stefan didn't like because he was left without a best man.

Nate was excited; Rebekah had informed him that she would officially be his Aunt, though he already thought of her as one. She also explained his duties as a ring bearer.

Everyone was taking the news well, Stefan explaining how well the lunch with Rebekahs' mother went, how she welcomed him to the family. However he was nervous to meet the rest of the family who resided overseas.

The day of the party had practically snuck up on them all, Caroline had been so busy with preparations while Stefan and Rebekah lived in their own little bubble of bliss. All work had been passed off to Caroline who planned the party that she would want when she got engaged.

She had been running late, as always. She had gotten into a form fitting blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places which was accompanied with a pair of black high heels. Her hair was curled to perfection and makeup applied meticulously. Not only did she have to get ready but she also had to round Nate up and dress him.

Caroline stood at the bottom of the stairs going over the list in her head of things that needed to be done for the party or things that needed to be checked on. She looked around to notice her son was nowhere to be found. Stefan had left earlier to pick Rebekah up so they could attend the party together.

"Nate, honey, hurry up we're going to be late!" She shouted up the stairs.

A few minutes later she heard feet stomping around upstairs and eventually down the stairs. Nate was dressed in his outfit, khakis and a light blue dress shirt which accentuated his eyes. A small purple bow tie was tied messily around his neck. "You look beautiful, Momma," he smiled up at her.

"Thank you." She bent down to fix his tie but he swatted her hand away.

"It's fine how it is, I tied it myself with no one else' help." He explained and so Caroline pulled away leaving the tie alone.

"Now remember what we talked about?"

"I have to be on my best behaviour." He answered with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes, and try not to get in trouble today, please, for Stefan and Rebekah?"

Nate stepped forward and kissed her cheek, "Anything for you, Momma."

"Thank you, now let's get going before we get in trouble from Rebekah." She said grabbing his hand and leading him out the front door.

When they arrived to the party it was already in full swing, yet the couple of honour were yet to make their grand entrance. It was being held at The Lake house, this fancy banquet hall on the edge of the city. It sat on a large manicured lawn with rolling hills and a small lake. The party was to be part inside and outside, large amount of space for the amount of people in attendance.

Rebekah had given her a list of one hundred people from both hers and Stefans' side of the family. All which seemed to be in attendance leaving a very crowded and busy party.

Not even a few minutes of Caroline entering the ball room, a loud voice was speaking over the speakers overhead. "Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome the future Mister and Missus Salvatore."

The room erupted into to cheers as the couple entered a set of oak doors at the top of a spiral staircase and made their way down to the bottom level where everyone waited.

Rebekah had on a stunning gold dress with a fitted bodice and flowed out at the hips. Her hair fell straight down her back with the front pinned back . Stefan stood beside her, arms linked, in a tailored black suit, white dress shirt and a skinny black tie.

The couple flitted accepting congratulations and sparing small talk with other guests. Caroline too talked with friends and family while holding tightly onto Nate's hand so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd.

Caroline was currently talking to Jenna Sommers, the aunt of an old friend of Caroline and Stefan. "So what's Elena up to?" Caroline asked politely. Elena, who had been an old flame of Stefan had decided not to attend, but sent her aunt as a replacement. Since Caroline and Stefan moved to the city from Mystic Falls, they had grown apart from Elena.

"I think she's in turkey right now, on an expedition. She's helping her archeology professor dig up some old bones. She's been travelling a lot lately but she's doing great. How are you and the little monster doing?" Jenna reached down to tickle Nate who giggled in response.

"We're doing good," she replied with a tight lipped smile.

Before anyone could say anything more, Rebekah slid up to her side. "Hey, Care, mind if I borrow my darling nephew?"

"No, go ahead, just make sure he behaves and keep him away from Kol."

Rebekah reached down and picked up Nate, giving him a kiss on the cheek which left a red mark of lipstick. She held him close, trying not to wrinkle her dress and walked outside where other guests were talking.

Caroline turned her attention back to Jenna who was happily talking about Elena who was doing all these incredible things with her life. Not once asking what Caroline herself was up to. When a waiter walked by with champagne Caroline grabbed a flute and almost downed the whole thing.

Eventually Caroline excused herself but got wrapped up in another conversation with one of Stefan's aunts asking her how Nate was doing and how she was handling being a single mother. She then proceeded to talk about how great of a father Damon would have been. Caroline took the abuse, thinking she would rather be talking to a rock than her.

* * *

Rebekah hugged Nate to her as she weaved her way through the crowd, sending sweet smiles to those who congratulated her along the way. Nate talked her ear off about how boring this party was and that he just wanted to have some fun but wasn't allowed.

When they reached outside, Rebekah carefully put him down and grabbed his hand and led him towards the small group. They were all deep in conversation, Stefan included.

She cleared her throat when she approached and they all stopped to look at her. "Everyone, this is my nephew, Nathanial."

"Hello," he waved with a bright smile.

"Nate, this is Klaus, Elijah, Katherine, Finn, Sage, Alexa, Henrik, and my mother." She said pointing to each member of her family that stood in front of them. "Of course you know Bonnie and Kol."

Nate stepped towards Bonnie, a smirk on his face. "Bonnie, 'my tender, oozing blossom, you're looking fabulous today. Is that a new haircut? Tell me it's a new haircut. It's got to be a new haircut. New makeup?'" He quoted using his best Mike Wazowski impression as he grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles.

The whole group laughed, Kol bent down to give him a high five. "That was amazing, mate, have you been practicing?"

Nate nodded happily that he had gotten it right. He then went around the group giving everyone a proper handshake like he had been told to do when he was introduced to new people.

"He's very polite," Elijah noted.

"He's a devil in disguise." Bonnie said causing everyone to look at her with questioning glances. "Don't let the sweet face fool you, he covered my walls in cookie dough the other night, no thanks to this one." She pointed at Kol.

"Kol always was one for trouble." Esther commented.

"The best was when he flushed 'Lijah's watch down the toilet." Katherine added with a giggle.

"Wasn't that last week?" Stefan questioned.

"Yes, age never seemed to stop him from causing trouble. Stuck in the body of a twenty-six year old but forever a five year old, am I right, Kol?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow.

"Someone needs to be the life of the party, and we all know you lot are rather boring." Kol snapped before dragging Bonnie away from the group.

Stefan picked up Nate, preventing him from running away after Kol. Everyone could see the look in his eyes, that he was fond of the older man and his mischievous ways. "I think, your mother told you to behave, that means staying away from Kol," Stefan scolded lightly.

"So Nathanial is related to you how?" Elijah asked and Rebekah wanted to slap him for being so intrusive. Katherine beat her to it and he looked down at her, "what?"

"You can't just ask a question like that!" Katherine said, "How would you like it if someone came up to you and asked how Henrik was related to you?"

"It's fine." Stefan interrupted. "He's my brother's son."

"Don't even ask about his brother, 'Lijah." Rebekah snapped seeing his mouth open and then close instantly.

"How about we all go inside for some refreshments?" Esther asked and everyone nodded and followed her inside.

Rebekah paused for a moment seeing that Klaus wasn't following the family. He was fixated on someone in the distance, she followed his line of sight to Caroline who was laughing with an older man.

Klaus shook his head distractedly and followed the rest of his family. Rebekah followed inside, Stefan already inside with Nate she walked over to them and gave her fiancé a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

Caroline had been finally able to tear herself away from Stefans' family and all their inquisitive questions about Nate. She made her way inside the banquet hall and saw to the corner, Stefan talking to Nate at a small table that was set up. They seemed to be playing a game of some sort, probably something Stefan made up to entertain Nate.

Caroline strolled over to the bar that ran along the back of the room, leaning on the bar she motioned for the bartender.

"Bottle of your best champagne," the voice next to her said to the bartender who she had just summoned. Caroline looked beside her about to give the person a piece of her mind when she saw Klaus smirking down at her. "And two glass while you're at it." He slipped a bill across the bar which the bartender took willingly.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Take a walk with me?" he asked as he grabbed the glasses and bottle. Caroline looked up to see him giving her a dimpled smile and she felt herself give in.

They walked quietly outside along the path that lined the lake. When they reached a park bench Klaus took a seat but Caroline remained standing. He looked up at her expecting her to sit down but she was stubborn and was going to stand.

"What's wrong?" Klaus finally asked.

"What do you want from me? Why can't you leave me alone?"

Klaus sighed and dragged a hand over his face in exasperation, "I don't know, Caroline."

The way her name ran off his tongue in his accent sent her reeling but Caroline wasn't going to let up. Reluctantly she sat down beside him on the bench.

Klaus was pleased to feel her sit down beside him, she had given in, let her guard down if only for a moment. "I just want to get to know you."

Caroline didn't say anything but look ahead at the lake in front of her. "Talk to me, get to know me," he added.

Klaus was feeling desperate now, she hadn't said a word or even looked at him. "I dare you," Klaus whispered into her ear.

Caroline snapped her attention to him at those words. His voice was so sincere and challenging and Caroline couldn't resist. "Fine," she said finally giving in.

Klaus smiled so wide that his dimples showed and Caroline turned her attention back away from him. He looked so happy and at ease like he just got the best Christmas person.

He opened the bottle of champagne pouring them each a glass before setting the bottle down at their feet.

"So what do you want to talk about?" She asked after a couple seconds of awkward silence.

"I wanna talk about you." Klaus said getting straight to the point causing Caroline to blush.

Caroline laughed, "do you really think that line is going to work on me?"

"I was hoping it would," he responded with a small laugh, not wounded from her remark at all.

"You are relentless."

Klaus smirked, "maybe I am. Tell me Caroline…"

"About what?"

"You're hopes, your dreams, all that you want from life." He answered softly.

Caroline shook her head, "I don't think so buddy." She wasn't some naïve little girl, she wouldn't play into this game that he was playing.

"Why not?" He leaned forward, invading her personal space causing her to be able to smell his cologne that smelt so good on him.

She leaned back to get away from him, putting space between them. "That sounds like first date material and I don't date."

Klaus leaned back against the park bench and took a sip of his champagne as he eye Caroline. Beside him sat a beautiful woman who was rejecting him at every turn and yet he went back for more every time. "So I've been told." He replied with a faint smile. "I wonder why a beautiful woman as amazing as you doesn't date."

She finished off her champagne and took a deep breath before answering. "I have many reasons, one being my son."

"I see." He pondered the thought. "Family first, am I right?" Caroline nodded, "I understand." And he did, it wasn't a lie. Klaus knew how important family way.

Caroline watched him as he took another sip form his champagne. She wasn't going to let anyone come into her life and tear her away from her son, as he said: 'family first'.

"How about friends?" Klaus questioned breaking the silence not only taking him off guard but also Caroline.

He hadn't even been thinking about a friendship, he'd never been one for friends but there was something about Caroline that he couldn't just let go of.

"Friends?"

He nodded, "get to know me, Caroline, I am an excellent friend."

She smiled, "friends." She repeated seeming to contemplate the idea that they could have a friendship between them. " I would like that."

Klaus filled up her glass with champagne, also filling up his own. "To being friends," he toasted.

They talked a bit about Stefan and Rebekah, common ground. She learned that he had grown closer to Stefan from the weeks since the proposal and found that they oddly would make a good match. Both were quiet and broody but kind and compassionate. She quietly excused herself realizing that it had been awhile since she had seen her son.

* * *

Kol had been wondering around the party by himself. Bonnie had gone off with a relative of an old friend, leaving him to his own devices. He made his way to the bar for a drink and when he looked around the room he found Stefan and Nate sitting at a table in a far corner by themselves.

"Have you seen Rebekah anywhere?" Stefan asked when he made his way to the table.

"Afraid not," Kol responded as he sat down beside Nate. "I can watch our friend here while you go find her?"

Stefan eyed him suspiciously before nodding and getting up. "Nate you stay here with Kol, I have to go find your aunt."

Nate didn't say anything in return so Stefan walked off in search for his fiancé.

"Let's go for a walk," Kol suggested. The boy nodded and followed Kol outside. They broke away from the crowd and were on the edge of the patio when Nate stopped and looked at something off in the distance. "What's wrong?"

"Who's my mom talking to?" He asked as he pointed across the lake to a couple talking. He noticed the blonde hair of Caroline, his mother, ad the familiar dirty blonde head of his brother.

"I believe she's talking to Klaus, my brother."

"What does he want with her?"

"I don't know, mate." Kol said as he bent down so they were eye to eye. Nate looked upset as his eyes became glassy with tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied wiping his eyes. "Do you think there are snakes in that lake?"

Kol looked behind him to the small lake which was where Nate was also looking. "I don't know, why don't we go check?"

Kol grabbed his hand and lead him over the grass to the edge of the lake. He looked over to where his brother was but saw that the couple had left. Kol rolled up his pant legs and then Nate's after taking off shoes and socks and the pair waded into the lake.

Nate crouched down and began to run his fingers through the water with Kol copying his actions. "I have a snake at home, his name's percy. Do you think Percy would want a friend?" Nate questioned.

"I don't know much about snakes, but I would love to meet Percy." Kol mentioned. Nate nodded and turned around and made his way towards the thin sandy bank farther away. "Where you going?"

He watched as Nate pounced onto the sand his hands encasing something that Kol couldn't quite see. He made his way over to where the boy was kneeling, "I caught a frog!" He exclaimed holding up a frog between his hands who croaked. "Do you think Klaus likes frogs?" He asked with an evil smirk.

"I don't know; why don't we go find out?" Kol suggested putting on their shoes before they went in search of his older brother.

They found him rather quickly; Klaus was on the patio with scotch in hand. "Hello, brother," he said when he saw them approach. "Nathanial," he nodded down to the boy.

"We brought you something." Kol said with a smirk.

Nate raised his closed hands and opened them to reveal the frog. Klaus laughed as he looked down at the young boy, "how did you know I wanted a frog?"

"You're not scared of it?" Nate asked confused.

Klaus smirked and raised an eyebrow, he leaned down so he was closer in size to Nate. "No, but you know who would be?"

"Who?" Both Kol and Nate asked at the same time.

"You're lovely Aunt Bekah."

Nate's eyes lit up and nodded eagerly. "Let's do it!"

"If we're caught, you're the one who's going to get in trouble, Nik, not me." Kol said seriously. "I'm already on thin ice with Bonnie, don't need Rebekah mad at me too."

"Fine, let's just go."

The three made their way inside, Nate holding the frog close in his closed hands. Klaus told them to wait off towards the side while Klaus went into the back behind the bar and into the kitchen to grab something.

He returned a few minutes later with a plate and a silver covering. Nate gently placed the frog on the plate and Klaus put the round covering overtop and handed it to Nate.

"You are going to go up to Bekah and tell her you have desert for her and when you're ready pull the top up to reveal the frog. Make sure you hold it up to her face so she gets a good look, okay?" Klaus questioned, making sure he understood what he was supposed to do.

"Got it." Nate replied with a nod of his head.

Kol gave him a slight push, "go get 'em, champ." The two watched from the side as Nate made his way towards the middle of the room where their sister stood.

* * *

Caroline had looked everywhere for Nate but couldn't find him. She wasn't worried; he often got passed from family member to family member at these kinds of social events. She trusted Stefan and he wouldn't just pass him off to anyone.

She was inside sitting at the table that Stefan and Nate had been at earlier. She needed a break from the crowd and also to sit down, her feet were killing her thanks to her tall heels.

She heard the chair across from her scrap along the floor as someone pulled it out and sat down but she didn't bother looking up, instead taking interest in her hands that sat on top of the table.

Eventually her curiosity got the best of her and she saw who was sitting across from her. The woman smiled, "hello, Caroline."

"Hi, Mrs. Mikaelson." She smiled politely.

"Please, call me Esteher." The older woman smiled sweetly. "How are you?"

"Fine, and you?"

"Excellent." She replied happily. "You really did a good job with the party, I'm sure Rebekah appreciates it." Esther took a moment to look around and Caroline followed taking in the success of the party. Everyone was talking amongst themselves as light music played overhead.

"Thank you; I would do anything for her and Stefan."

"Rebekah told me what you did for her, giving her the ring that belonged to Stefan's mother. I heard that ring was meant for you, from Damon." Esther said and Caroline looked confused so she continued on. "Stefan told me about his brother and even about you and your son. It must be hard to live everyday with the reminder of what you lost."

"Some days are easier than others," Caroline admitted with a shrug. "Stefan is a big help and so is Rebekah."

"I bet she is. If you ever need my help, I'm available. I too know what it's like to be a single mother."

"You had to raise six kids by yourself?" She asked.

Esther nodded, "My husband passed away eighteen years ago after Henrik was born. Rebekah was seven, kol nine, Niklaus ten, Elijah twelve and Finn sixteen. Thankfully we had family money which kept us afloat, the older boys helped out with the younger ones. We faced hard times but only grew stronger, after all family is forever."

"Wow, I could never imagine raising six kids by myself; it's hard enough with one." Caroline gasped, "you really are a remarkable person. Rebekah always talks about how great her mother is but I never believe it until today."

"You are a strong woman, Caroline; I see why my son is so taken by you."

"We're just friends, I don't date." She responded quickly trying to avoid conversation about Klaus, especially with his mother.

"Why don't you don't?" Esther questioned; her eyebrows creasing with her light brown eyes concerned.

"I grew up with a lot of men coming in and out of my life, I'd rather not put my son through that."

"I understand your hesitation. However, take my advice of a single woman of eighteen years. Don't put your life on hold, take a chance. Go on dates, you don't have to introduce them to your son, just get yourself out there. Give Niklaus a chance; I think he would surprise you."

Esther gave her a small smile and before Caroline could make a rebuttal the older woman got up and left the table leaving Caroline there stunned and her words of advice sinking in.

She was ripped from her thoughts when she heard a scream echo throughout the room.

* * *

Rebekah had been talking to an old family friend when she felt a poke on the back. She turned and saw Nate looking up at her with something in his hands. "What you got there?" She asked sweetly.

"A wedding present for my favourite aunt." He replied holding the silver platter up to her as he pulled over the covering to a frog appearing before her. It croaked and jumped right at her. Rebekah screamed and fumbled backwards, her hands clawing at her front to get the frog away.

Nate began laughing hysterically and was joined by her two troublesome brothers. Caroline ran up to her, "what's going on?"

Caroline heard a croak coming from the ground in front of her and jumped back pulling Rebekah with her which caused the three boys to laugh even harder. Nate jumped forward and picked up the frog.

"What's wrong, Momma? Don't like frogs?" He asked teasingly holding the frog up so she could see.

"Nathanial, take that thing outside this second!" She scolded, placing a hand on her heart trying to calm herself down. Rebekah was doing the same but shooting her brothers with furious looks. They quickly ran after Nate who was taking the frog back outside.

Stefan and Esther ran up beside them to see what all the commotion was about. Rebekah was seething with anger, feeling her night was ruined, stating her dress had 'frog juices' on it.

"You're son," she yelled pointing at Caroline, "and you're two sons," now pointing at Esther, "are incorrigible, they are miscreants and they ruined my party! I am going to kill Kol and Klaus."

"Rebekah, it's fine," Stefan soothed as he rubbed her arms trying to calm her down.. He ducked his head looking into her eyes, "they were just trying to have some fun, besides we can get them back later."

"Like a prank?"

"Rebekah, you aren't a child anymore," Esther interrupted.

"I'm not, but your sons seem to be." She answered annoyed.

Caroline sighed, not liking where this was going, "Rebekah just let it go, and they didn't mean any harm." She turned to Stefan, pointing her finger at him, "and you, don't start a war you can't finish."

"It's my party and I'll do what I want," Rebekah snapped as she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Esther and Caroline staring after her as Stefan ran after her.

"This isn't going to end well," Caroline moaned dragging hre hands over her face.

"I'm afraid not, Rebekah grew up with five brothers, she knows how to get her revenge." Esther commented before walking off in another direction.

* * *

**A/N: What's Rebekah up to? What'd you think of that Klaroline scene? Don't y'all love naughty Nate?**

**Next chapter will be part two of the engagement party, with some dancing, toasts, Klaroline scenes. **

**Thank you all for your support, I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and if you have any suggestions for the story. **

**One last note, I will be working full time working hours starting tomorrow so updates may not be as frequent. But it'll only be for the month of July. So bare with me for this month I will try to update at lease once a week. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Not too sure how this chapter turned out, hope you enjoy it anyway. Just a quick thanks to all the wonderful reviews, I really do love reading them. Also thanks to anyone who reads, favourites or follows.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"Rebekah, I'm so sorry about Nate!" Caroline yelled as she chased after the blonde. She stopped and spun around, causing Stefan, who was walking beside her, stumble at the sudden movement.

A huge grin spread across Rebekah's face, lighting up her features. "It's fine, Caroline. I'm sure it was all Nik's idea, but I have the perfect revenge planned for him, I just need your help."

"My help?" Caroline questioned, eyes growing wide, almost horrified at what the other girl has up her sleeve.

"Yes, I need you to ask Nik on a date!"

"A date?" Stefan asked from beside her in confusion.

"Yes, then after bring him back to the house." Rebekah added, "I have something planned, something he wont like that'll get him back for the little stunt he pulled earlier."

"Bekah, I don't think that's a great idea, me and Klaus-"

Rebekah rolled her eyes in annoyance, "take him to a movie, sit three seats apart, you don't even have to talk. Just do this for me, please, Caroline?"

"Fine." Caroline huffed and stormed away.

"What are you planning?" Stefan asked when he saw the Cheshire grin his fiancé had spread across her face.

"Just a little match making mixed with revenge," She smirked as she patted him on the chest and followed Caroline back into the hall.

Stefan just stood there dumbfounded, at a complete loss as for what was going on. So he shrugged his shoulders and followed after his future wife like a dutiful and loyal fiancé.

He made his way to the bar to grab a drink and found Klaus there already ordering himself one. "You know she's going to get you back for that stunt you just pulled, right?"

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Klaus smirked, his gaze on something across the room. Stefan followed his line of sight to Caroline who was talking to Bonnie.

"I saw you talking to Caroline earlier," Stefan stated which caused Klaus to turn his head and look at him. The smirk gone and his lips pursed, all amusement gone.

"We had a little talk," Klaus admitted, ducking his head slightly growing hot under Stefan's intense gaze. "As friends," he added quickly.

"Mhmm," Stefan murmured with a roll of his eyes. "I'm sure your intentions are to be just friends."

"As I'm sure your intentions with Rebekah were to be just friends when you met" Klaus bit back a smirk tugging at his lips. He realized they were in similar positions, both being over protective brothers with sisters they cared about. "I didn't think so," he added when Stefan didn't say anything.

"Just be careful with her, I'm rooting for you and everything, but you do anything to hurt her or my nephew I'll come after you without a second thought." Stefan warned seriously.

"I understand," Klaus replied looking down the glass of his drink, finding the amber liquid intriguing. "If it's any consolation, I have no desire to hurt her."

"I know, but I just need to do my brotherly duties." He took a sip of his drink then narrowed his eyes at Klaus, in thought. "What do you see in her?"

"In Caroline?" Klaus asked.

Stefan rolled his eyes, "of course Caroline, what do you see in her? Why the sudden interest?"

Klaus tensed, unsure of what to tell the brother of the girl he fancied. He felt himself beginning to sweat, feeling Stefans' intense gaze. Having never been in the same compromising position before, Klaus spoke the truth. "I don't know what to tell you, Stefan." He began, not off to a great start as Stefan scowled at him.

"There's something about Caroline, something I can't put my finger on, something that draws me to her. She's full of light and seems so carefree and I admire that about her. There is something so pure and honest about Caroline." Klaus recovered, smiling a little as his thoughts were clouded by Caroline. "I just want to get to know her, or be a part of her life, anything really."

"I see," Stefan nodded, taking in the other man's words about his sister.

"I want to be her friend," he said with emphasise on the word 'friend'.

"You're willing to just be friends with her?" Stefan questioned.

"I'd be friends with her for an eternity if it meant I got to be around her," he admitted not ashamed and with a proud smile on his face.

Stefan returned the unhindered smile himself, "and that's exactly why I think you would be perfect for her."

Before Klaus could even say anything, Stefan pushed himself off from the bar and headed towards the table where Rebekah sat. All that was running through his mind was the final words of Stefan: '_you would be prefect for her_'.

Those words gave him a boost of confidence and he found himself smiling that he would be perfect for her, Caroline.

* * *

"Have you spoken to Jenna today?" Caroline asked as she walked up beside Bonnie who was sipping her champagne staring out the large window which overlooked the small lake outside.

"Yes, she cornered me earlier." Bonnie admitted.

"I mean I love Jenna and all but she could at least try to hide the judgment in her voice. All she talked about Elena doing this and Elena doing that, she's just happy that Elena didn't get stuck marrying Stefan and in turn ended up with me and Nate."

"I know, did she talk about how Elena's in turkey and travelling the world?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed, "yes! I get overly happy aunt and everything but she could have tried to dial it down. It's not like she left us on good terms."

Bonnie nodded and took a sip of her drink. "Have you spoken to her lately?"

"Not in years, you?"

"Nope." Bonnie admitted with a shake of her head. Her friend was about to say more but Kol had come up beside her and she was momentarily distracted as anger surged through her.

"What was that?" Bonnie shouted turning around to look at Kol. She was within inches of him, staring up at him with steely green eyes.

"Nothing, just a little prank." He responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I told you to behave!" She brought her hand up and began hitting his chest with her clutch. "Why don't you listen?" She said between smacks.

"Kol!"

Bonnie froze, remembering that Caroline was beside them; she didn't look angry but amused. Caroline stepped up beside Bonnie and grabbed the clutch out of her hands and hit him once on the chest and handed it back to her friend.

"I'm sorry!" He said, throwing his hands up in front of him in surrender. "It wasn't my idea, it was Nik's!"

"You could have stopped it, now I got roped into Bekah's crazy revenge scheme which involves a date with Klaus!" Caroline huffed in annoyance.

"A date?" Bonnie asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, a date and it's your boyfriends fault." She groaned. Kol and Bonnie shared a look and laughed, Caroline was not impressed with their reactions and stormed off.

"I guess I can't be mad at you if you ended up getting them a date together," Bonnie said as she stepped closer to him again and rested her hands on top of his shoulders.

"So I did good?" Kol questioned as he lowered his head so he could look into her eyes, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, I just wish you wouldn't rope my nephew into your pranks."

"It was entirely Nik's idea to prank Rebekah, I just got the ball rolling by trying to get Nate to prank Nik." He smirked.

"Alright, if that's the story you're sticking with. Just stop trying to corrupt Nate." Bonnie said with serious eyes.

"Yes, darling." Kol dipped his head and brought his lips and pressed them against Bonnes'. He kissed her sweetly and all anger escaped Bonnie, she could never be mad at him, especially not after one of his kisses.

They had only been dating for two weeks, ever since the night at the club, but Kol brightened up Bonnies' life. He brought her happiness and helped her forget all her troubles. Bonnie was thankful for having him in her life; she just wished her best friend could find someone like that.

* * *

"I hope we don't have a boy," Katherine said to Elijah with her hand resting on her petite baby bump.

Rebekah looked down at Nate who was sitting beside her and for once being a perfect angel. He was playing on his Gameboy, minding his own business and focusing on the task at hand.

"Boys are supposed to be easier than girls," Caroline commented without malice in her voice. She knew what Katherine was implying, that she didn't want a child like Nate, one who was a handful and hard to control at times.

"Yes, a boy would be easier to handle in the teenage years than a female." Elijah remarked with a slight smirk. "I remember what Rebekah was like when she was sixteen, true definition of a nightmare."

"Elijah!" Rebekah scolded while the other three laughed. "I was not a nightmare."

"I'd beg to differ," Esther said as she sat down at the table, joining in the conversation.

Rebekah scowled at her mother and folded her arms across her chest. "I was not; Nik was the nightmare with all his mood changes."

"Remind me again why I married a Mikaelson?" Katherine muttered under her breath.

"It was for the money," Rebekah sneered.

"Rebekah!" Esther bellowed. "Katherine is a part of our family now, please treat her like it."

"Yes, mother," Rebekah grumbled with a roll of her eyes as she got up from the table and stormed off.

Esther turned in her seat to look at Caroline, "what did you want, boy or girl?"

"Girl," she blushed.

"See, I'm not wrong to want a girl," Katherine remarked. Elijah patted her on the back, calming her down for any impending attack.

"All mothers want a girl." Esther said with a small, all-knowing smile. "I had to have four boys first, rather unfortunate."

Katherine and Caroline found themselves chuckling at the comment while Elijah ducked his head in slight embarrassment. The three talked in easy conversation, never venturing far from children, pregnancy or family.

She found out that Katherine and Elijah had been marred for a few years after meeting at college and dating for seven years before Elijah gained enough courage to propose. The engagement was a year, the wedding which was an extravagant event or two hundred of their closest friends and family.

Rebekah was never asked to be a bridesmaid which had caused animosity between the two. Katherine had chosen three friends from work while Elijah chose his brothers as groomsmen. Caroline remembered how angry Rebekah had been to be the only sibling to not be in the wedding party, she had gone on about it for months.

After talking for some time, Caroline found she was rather fond of the two women. Esther was regal and sophisticated but still had the ability to joke around. She was understanding and caring, reminding Caroline of a mother she always aspired to be, and of a mother she never had.

While Katherine could be cruel and harsh, she also had a softer and caring side. Caroline thought she was often misunderstood; when she came of as bitchy she was protecting herself.

The two women were like Caroline, furiously protective of her loved ones. Something Rebekah also shared and she realized that she rather liked the Mikaelson women in all their glory.

Caroline looked over her shoulder to see Stefan heading towards the small stage that was set up on the fae wall. There was a deejay setting up to prepare for the dancing that was to begin after the speeches.

The only ones who were to speak were Stefan, Caroline and Esther. The speeches were to be quick, saying a few sentence as most, mainly to thank everyone for attending. Caroline didn't had a speech prepared and had decided earlier to wing it and speak from the heart.

* * *

Stefan stood up on the little stage with Rebekah next to him overlooking friends and family that had gathered into the hall for the speeches. Grabbing the microphone from the deejay he placed his hand in hers as he began his small speech.

"We would like to thank everyone for attending today. It is our pleasure to share with this with you and we hope to see you at the wedding." Stefan said with a smile. Everyone clapped and he took the opportunity to hand the microphone to Caroline who was now standing beside him on the platform.

"Hi everyone, for those who don't know me I'm Caroline Forbes, Stefans' sister. I just wanted to congratulate the happy couple on their upcoming nuptial's. There's someone who can't be here today but he would be happy for his brother and love his sister-in-law. Damon always said he'd rather a sister than a brother," Caroline laughed and smiled over at the couple beside her. "Welcome to the family, Rebekah."

Like before the people crowded in the hall clapped and Caroline handed the microphone off to Stefan who in turn handed it over to Esther. Caroline made her way off the stage to where Nate sat with Bonnie and Kol.

"When children find true love, parents find true joy. Here's to your joy and ours from this day forward." Esther toasted and raised her champagne glass and eventually lowering it to her lips taking a drink.

The party followed suit, including Stefan and Rebekah who had picked up their own glass of champagne. Once the clapping subsided Stefans voice boomed over the speakers. "Thank you for coming, now let's start the dancing!"

* * *

Caroline sat at the table where Nate was still happily entertained, engrossed in the game. It was what she often ended up resorting to when they were at all day events.

Esther joined her at the table, Alexa following close behind. She looked over to see her parents happily dancing along with Bonnie and Kol and Stefan and Rebekah. Elijah and Katherine had just joined in, him holding her close in the middle of the dance floor. Others were dancing as well, some she knew and some she didn't.

Caroline fiddled with her hands that rested in her lap as she watched the scene of happy couples dance in front of her. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and hurt. Damon was supposed to be there with her and Nate. He was supposed to see his brother get married and so much more.

She rarely thought about the 'what ifs' of her former relationship, of her former love, but on monumental days she couldn't help it. In the end, it hadn't felt like Caroline had moved on from it all but she was stuck in the past as the guilt and sadness washed over her.

"May I have this dance?"

Caroline turned her body in the chair and found Klaus standing there looking almost innocent. His hand was extended but she just looked at it. Then Caroline looked down at Nate and back at Klaus.

"I can watch him," Esther spoke up from behind her.

Caroline swiveled in her chair to look at the older woman. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Go have fun, he probably won't even notice your gone." Esther smiled encouragingly at her. Caroline returned a weak smile of her own before leaning over to her son.

"I'll be right back; I'm just going to have a dance with Klaus." She whispered in his ear and then kissed his cheek. Nate didn't even acknowledge her presence, focus entirely trained on the game he was playing.

Caroline stood up gracefully from her seat and held onto the elbow that Klaus offered as he led them towards the dance floor. Neither of them said a word as he turned and pulled her close to him. She silently rested a hand on top of his shoulder and held onto his free hand. His remaining hand rested lightly on her back.

They were inches from each other and Caroline could feel heat radiating off him so she leaned back a little. The intimacy they shared was feeling like too much s Klaus' blue eyes pierced her own. However, she couldn't pull away, she was drawn to him.

After the song ended, which was slightly upbeat, a slower song began. Klaus couldn't resist any longer and pulled her towards him so their chests were touching. He heard her sigh at the contact and felt her relax.

Klaus snaked his arm farther around her as Caroline rested her head on his shoulder. The only reasoning she would come up with was that friends could dance this intimately; she wasn't really crossing a line. After all, she could allow her walls down for one night, enough to let her enjoy the dance and feel of a man pressed against her.

That very reasoning was how she ended up in his bed weeks ago; though this time she had a clearer head. Caroline closed her eyes and relished in the feel of his hard chest pressed against hers. Visions of his naked body flashed behind her eyes, remembering how sculpted his body really was under the suit.

It seemed that Klaus was content in leading as he slowly led them in a small circle in place. It didn't feel like they were in a crowded room, in fact it felt like they were alone in their own little world; both feeling at ease for the first time in a long time. This was exactly what she needed.

* * *

"What are they doing?" Nate asked. Esther looked up to see the boy turned in his chair looking out onto the crowd of people dancing. She found him staring directly at Caroline and Klaus.

"They're dancing, my dear boy," Esther replied. "Come over here and you can draw with us." She had been drawing with Alexa tucked up beside her, Nate looked at them hesitantly and then nodded and made his way to her free side.

"Nanny, show me how to draw a pony!" Alexa exclaimed from beside her.

Esther complied, willing to do anything for her only grandchild, and drew a perfect picture of a pony on a napkin. She handed the pencil over to Alexa allowing her to copy. The little girl tucked her dark, red hair behind her ear and began to get to work on her drawing of a pony.

Nate looked on with wonder as well as sadness in his eyes. Without saying a word he turned his attention back to his mother who was now more wrapped up in the arms of Klaus. It looked like she was enjoying herself as she rested her head on his shoulder eyes closed.

Esther reached down and lightly squeezed his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her. "What's the matter?"

"Why is he dancing with my mom?" His voice cracking slightly as his eyes began to water.

Esther felt her heart break at the sight and she quickly picked Nate up and placed him on her lap going into protective grandmother mode. "They're just dancing, having fun."

"It doesn't look like fun," Nate murmured as he rubbed his eyes looking away and over at his mother. "Maybe he's hurting her."

"Nathanial, she's fine." Esther said, rubbing his back in small circles trying to comfort him. "Look at me," the little boy turned so he was now looking directly into her eyes. "I know you worry about your mother, but she's in safe hands, trust me."

Nate nodded slowly before turning back to watching Klaus and Caroline dance. Esther wrapped an arm around him to hold him in place on her lap as she talked quietly to Alexa.

They stayed like that for some time until Finn stopped by and picked up his daughter for a dance, leaving Esther alone with Nate. "Would you like to dance?" Esther asked Nate.

He turned around again and nodded, the sadness almost gone from his blue eyes. Esther smiled down at him as she picked him up and held him close to her body. He was a lighter than he expected, noticing he was on the smaller side for a four year old.

Instead of putting him down, she held him and clutched one his hands as if they were to dance normally. Nate rested his free arm on her shoulder and smiled happily at Esther who spun them around. He even managed a carefree giggle.

"This is fun!"

"I told you," Esther winked as she spun them around again. Nate laughed when she dipped him back and brought him upright again. "Everyone loves to dance."

They danced like that for the rest of the song until Nate caught sight of Caroline and wiggled out of her grasp. She gently placed him on the ground and watched as he ran over to Klaus and Caroline. Esther followed him, wanting her own dance with her son.

* * *

Caroline was peacefully dancing with Klaus and relished in the trance like feeling. However she was broken from it when she felt little hands pulling at her dress.

She looked down to see Nate smiling widely up at her with a proud smile on his face. Caroline then saw Esther walking up behind him with a similar smile on her face.

"Dance with my, mommy." Nate demanded as he held his arms out for her to pick him up. Caroline shot Klaus an apologetic smile as she pulled away and picked up her son.

"Sorry," She whispered, looking over Nate's shoulder to see Klaus frowning.

"It's fine, love. Dance with your son." Klaus responded and then noticed his mother eyeing him from a few feet away. "I think I'll dance with my mother as well."

"What a lovely idea, Niklaus." Esther commented, stepping forward and holding onto her son tightly.

She noticed Klaus watch Caroline dance with Nate much like Esther had done only moments ago. Although this time, Nate was laughing widly, barely able to contain his enjoyment and amusement. Much like Caroline, who was laughing along, her eyes bright and her body much more relaxed than it had been with Klaus.

Caroline looked comfortable and peaceful, like the only thing she was meant to be was the mother of that little boy. The love flashed through her eyes, much like they did with Nates'. His blue eyes matching hers, like his smile and the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed.

Esther noticed the admiration in her sons' eyes as he watched the scene of the other mother and son unfold before them. She had never seen that look in his eyes before or the smile on his face. He looked happy watching the pair enjoy themselves from the sideline.

"The boy needs a father," Esther commented, taking Klaus off guard. He pulled his attention from Caroline and turned his head slightly to see his mother looking at him curiously.

"What are you-"

"I know how you feel about the girl, Niklaus; you cannot fool me. But with Caroline comes Nathanial; are you really ready to become a father to that boy?" She raised an eyebrow, her lips pressed in a thin line.

His mother was always the perceptive one and always watching over him. Klaus looked back to Nate, watching him with Caroline. He too had grown up without a father, always wishing he had one, the closest he got was his older brother which wasn't the same. Nate had Stefan, but that too, wasn't the same.

"I-" he began but was quickly shut down by his mother.

"What if things don't work out between you?" She asked with a raise of the eyebrows. "How will it affect your sister? She's his aunt; it will put a strain on your relationship. Then there is Nathanial." Esther continued. "There are many things to think about before you jump into anything with Caroline."

"I understand."

Esther shook her head, "I don't think you do, Niklaus. Do you know why I didn't date?" Klaus didn't say anything but looked away, unable to handle seeing the sadness in his mother's eyes. "I wasn't going to let any man walk into your life if he wasn't going to stay."

"Do you know why Caroline doesn't date?" She questioned him and Klaus shook his head slightly. "Because she doesn't want any man to walk in and out of her child's life, she is protecting him like any good mother."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to know that you cannot waltz into her life and leave when you have had enough or when things get hard. Caroline has responsibilities as a single mother, responsibilities you can't ignore. I know you fancy her, Niklaus, but I want you to consider everything. That boy needs a father and if you are not willing to be one then you should stay away."

Klaus didn't know anything about being a father; but he was fond of Nate, from what little time they had spent together. He wanted to be a part of their lives, and he couldn't understand why. Klaus didn't do complicated relationships; he avoided them like the plague. But as he watched the two interacted on the dance floor, Klaus realized that he wanted to be a part of that family.

He was about to say something but Esther just pecked his cheek and walked away, a smirk on her lips. He was left standing in the middle of the ball room, alone. Couples danced around him but Klaus only had his eyes on Caroline and Nate as his mother's words rang through his ears.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Any idea's what Rebekah has planned for Klaus? What about the mother/son talk between Esther and Klaus? Will he back off or go for it? Let me know what you think!**

**SO sorry for the long wait. I'm too tired when i get home from work to write so i've been writing on weekends. I'm not sure how long till the next update but bare with me, I will be free from working in August and get back to regualr updates. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and wasn't too boring. Next chapter may or may not include a klaroline date or Rebekah's revenge. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I read your requests and I have delivered. Hope it is all up to your standards. Just a quick welcome to any new readers and a big thank you to reviews and readers and anyone who had favourited or followed.**

**Also, a really big thank you to nfinneman who created the cover for this fic. And to chibichibi98 who is always there when I need help. **

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

It had been a week since the engagement party and Caroline had heard Rebekah beg her to ask Klaus on a date almost every day since. "Come on, Caroline just call him up and ask him out!"

"Bekah-"

"You promised!" Rebekah whined as she flopped down beside Caroline on the couch in the living room.

Caroline flipped off the television, knowing she wasn't going to get any peace to watch her favourite show. "I don't think so," she said with a smirk, turning to face Rebekah.

"Caroline!"

"Rebekah!"

"Please, you said you would. Just take him out for an hour and bring him back here." Rebekah pleaded, "do it for your future sister."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Fine!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation, finally giving in.

Rebekah squealed and threw her arms around the other blonde and squeezed her tight. "You're the best! Call him now and ask for a date tonight!" They pulled back and after a few minutes of silence Rebekah nudged her, "well what are you waiting for?"

Caroline pushed herself off the couch and slowly walked up the stairs to her bedroom where she had left her cell phone. Rebekah threw herself on the bed, hands behind head in relaxation. "What about Nate? Don't you and Stefan usually go out on Saturdays?"

"We'll stay in and watch him, that way he can help me with this prank." Rebekah responded quickly, brushing off any attempts of doubt from Caroline.

Caroline picked up her phone and played with it in her hands, rolling it around when an idea popped into her head. "If I do this for you then you give me something in return," Caroline bargained.

"Anything!"

"A girls night and you invite Katherine."

Rebekah crossed her arms across her chest, pouting. "Anything but that."

"No deal then." Caroline smirked.

"Why do you want to spend unnecessary time with her?"

"She's really great once you get to know her, Rebekah. She is your sister-in-law after all, get to know her." Caroline tried reasoning and saw the other blonde slowly give in.

"I get to pick what we watch." She responded with an evil smirk and raised eyebrow as she reached out and grabbed the cell phone that Caroline was playing with in her hands. Rebekah pressed a few buttons before handing it back to Caroline who quickly pressed it against her ear when she heard it ringing.

"Hello?"A distracted voice echoed through the phone.

Caroline suddenly felt nervous, she had never asked anyone on a date before, even if this would be a fake one. "Klaus?" She grimaced, hearing how weak her voice sounded as her nerves got the best of her.

"Speaking?"

"It's Caroline." She responded as she looked over to see Rebekah grinning up at her from the bed.

"Hello, Caroline; sorry, I was painting and didn't have time to look at the caller I.D." He explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can call back another time when you're not busy-"

"It's fine, what can I do for you?" Klaus interrupted, preventing her from rambling any farther.

Caroline bit at her bottom lip, mentally preparing herself for the words she was to say next. "Wouldyouliketogoonadatewithme?" She questioned really quietly and fast.

Klaus chuckled, "I didn't quite catch that, what did you say?"

She huffed, letting all her nerves out. Then Caroline wondered exactly what there was to be nervous about. She didn't have feelings for the guy, nor was this a real date; there was nothing to be nervous about. "Would you like to go on a date?" She repeated, this time with confidence.

"Sure, pick you up at six?"

"Sounds good," She replied before hanging up and throwing her phone at Rebekah who laid on the bed laughing. "This isn't funny!"

Rebekah only laughed harder, rolling onto her side and clutching her stomach. When she finally calmed down, she looked up at an irritated Caroline. "So much for not having any feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for Klaus!" Caroline snapped as she stormed out of her room, leaving Rebekah in another fit of giggles. "I'm calling Bonnie!" She yelled, her voice travelling through the house.

* * *

Bonnie awoke to the feeling of lips gliding down her bare back, a tongue tracing the lines of her spine and fingers digging into her hips. "I'm sleeping," she groaned in annoyance, pulling the pillow over her head.

Kol continued his assault on her body moving up to her shoulder, kissing and licking. "Go away," she grumbled, waving her hand blindly to get him to move away.

"I can think of much more exciting things to do besides sleeping," He said into the pillow.

"I'm tired; someone kept me up most of the night."

"What an enjoyable night it was," Kol retorted grabbing the pillow off her head and rolling her over so she was now facing him. He moved on top of her and began attacking her neck with kisses.

She let out a moan, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in pleasure. Bonnie pouted when the ministrations stopped to see Kol staring down at her with a smirk on his lips. "Good morning," he whispered as he leans down on top of her, lips inches from hers.

"Morning," she smiled up at him before giving him a chaste kiss.

Kol didn't take to well to only receiving one kiss, so he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Bonnie gasped in surprise giving him the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

His hands ran up and down her naked body while her hands were wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Kol tore his lips way and began to make his descent cross her cheek and onto her neck, peppering kisses along the way. Just as he reached her collarbone a loud ringing was emitted from across the rom.

Bonnie recognized it to be coming from a cellphone, most likely hers. She pushed at Kols' chest but he refused to budge and had her trapped underneath him. "Kol," she groaned wriggling beneath him try to halt his attack on her lips.

Kol smirked against her skin, keeping his hold tight on her body. He moved back up to her neck, his breath hot against her ear. "Let's turn off our phones and spend all day in bed like this," he said before nibbling her ear.

Bonnie was putty in his hands at his words and actions, he knew how to get his way with her. She nodded as she settled underneath him feeling his teeth graze her neck lightly. Her fingers played with his hair, tugging him closer to her.

The phone rang again moments after it had quieted. Bonnie had barely heard the noise from her pleasure induced haze and she groaned again at the impromptu call. "I bet that's Caroline."

"Let it ring," he suggested, his brown eyes now pleading into hers. There were many things about Kol Mikaelson that she couldn't resist, believe it or not.

"Kol," Bonnie moaned, pushing at his chest for him to get off her. "If I don't answer now she won't leave me alone." Her hands cupped his face and he allowed her to pull him down towards her. She gave him a quick kiss before pushing him off her, catching him by surprise.

She reached down and grabbed a pair of discarded shots and tank top from the floor and slipped them on. By the time she reached the dresser on the other side of the room her phone stopped ringing.

Bonnie quickly unlocked her phone and found she had three missed calls and five unread text messages all from Caroline. She hastily dialed the number, before Caroline could even say a word Bonnie spoke. "This better be a friend emergency."

"It is!" Caroline shrieked through the phone. "I have a date with Klaus tonight! How fast can you get over here?"

Bonnie looked over towards the bed where Kol was laying waiting patiently for her to return. He was propped up, resting against the headboard with the bedsheet pooled around his lap, his sculptured chest revealed. Her eyes raked over his body and she subconsciously licked her lips.

"Twenty minutes," Bonnie said, her eyes locked with Kols'. He raised in eye brow in question and smirked causing her to immediately change her mind. "I'll be there in an hour."

Caroline argued but Bonnie didn't listen and instead ended the call and turned the phone off. She made her way to the adjoining bathroom and halted at the doorframe looking over to Kol. "You coming?" She asked suggestively as she began to peal the tank top off over her head.

He didn't even bother with a response but jumped up off the bed and practically ran towards her. Kol wasted no time in tearing off her shorts and lifting her up and carrying her into the shower.

"Kol!" Bonnie laughed when she felt her feet being lifted off the ground and soon feeling hot water spraying down on her.

* * *

The second that Bonnie walked through the front door of the house Caroline was on her. "What took you so long? It's been two hours since I called!" She screamed running down the stairs.

She hadn't even gotten through the door when Caroline pounced, causing Bonnie to want to slink back out of the house and return to her apartment where Kol was waiting for her. "Sorry, I got held up," she shrugged walking into the house and closed the door behind her. "So what happened?"

"I have a date with Klaus!" Caroline yelled, enunciating each word. Bonnie could see her friend was freaking out, especially since she hadn't been on a date in years.

"Care, you need to calm down and breathe," Bonnie said soothingly, pulling her friend into a hug. She felt Caroline relax slightly under her touch.

"Caroline's got a date with Nik!" Rebekah sang as she skipped down the stairs.

Caroline turned around, "I'm going to kill you!" She yelled as she pulled herself from Bonnie's grip and ran up the stairs after Rebekah.

Bonnie sighed as she followed the two girls up the stairs, hearing shrieks and laughter above. This idea was either the best thing that Rebekah had come up with or the worst. It depended on how the date went. She loved Caroline and everything, but she put her life on hold for far too long.

When Bonnie reached the top of the stairs and cautiously entered Carolines' bedroom she found Caroline standing on her bed with Rebekah staring up at her furious.

Rebekah went to take a step forward but Caroline who had Rebekahs' phone in hand put up one finger to stop the other blonde. "Take one step closer and I'll send that text to Stefan," She told her with a smirk.

"What text?" Bonnie questioned, stepping up beside Rebekah.

Caroline laughed, "you don't even want to know."

"How about we get off the bed, put the phone away and get ready for you date?" Bonnie suggested, trying to diffuse the situation. Rebekah crossed her arms, pouting; while Caroline still stood triumphantly on the bed with phone in hand. "Caroline," she warned, holding her hand out for the phone.

"Fine," Caroline pouted, handing the phone over to Bonnie who set it down on the bedside table. Caroline flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I can't believe you forced me to go on a date with your brother."

"It'll be fine, Caroline," Bonnie comforted, lying down beside her friend. Rebekah joined in, the three staring up quietly.

Rebekah broke the silence, "what should she wear?"

"Something hot and sexy," Bonnie responded. "Actually, I have the perfect idea." She hopped off the bed, leaving both blondes lying on the couch.

Bonnie went straight into the walk in closet, digging through her clothes. She returned with a pair of black skinny jeans with a red low cut top and leather jacket.

"Sexy, I like it," Rebekah commented, getting up herself to dig for a pair of shoes. She returned moments later with a pair of black high heels and threw them on the bed beside Caroline.

"This is too much, I'll look like a hooker," Caroline complained, eyeing the items on the bed.

"A sexy hooker," Bonnie giggled.

Caroline rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the bed and headed right into her closet, finding what she wanted to wear on the so called date. She changed into a white sundress that fell to just above her knees. A denim jacket was placed over top and the outfit was accompanied with a pair of flat strappy sandals.

"Meh," Rebekah said with a shake of her head. "The other outfit was sexier."

"But that one's alright for a first date," Bonnie reasoned.

"This isn't a date!"

"Did you just call it a date?" Rebekah smirked.

"Shut up," Caroline snapped, turning her back and running into the bathroom to start on hair and makeup.

Both Bonnie and Rebekah laughed at the little tantrum their friend just had. "You are a genious," Bonnie whispered.

"I know," She shrugged. "Best plan I ever had."

* * *

An hour later, Caroline had perfectly styled her hair and makeup. The three girls made their way downstairs to wait for Klaus to arrive while Rebekah gave her pointers. "Remember to bring him in after so I can prank him; ask him to stay for a movie or something."

"I know, Rebekah, we've gone over this a million times already." Caroline moaned.

Before anyone could say anything more the front door opened and a little body came storming into the house, followed by a very tired Stefan.

Nate didn't know who to run to first, especially when he saw his three favourite ladies. He went to Bonnie first, giving her a quick hug and then Rebekah doing the same before jumping into Caroline's' awaiting arms.

"I missed you," He smiled up at her, squeezing her neck.

"I missed you too, how was your day with Uncle Stefan?" Caroline asked, hugging him tight.

"Alright, the museum was kind of boring." Nate shrugged.

Rebekah sauntered over to Stefan, giving him a hug and kiss. "How was it really?" She whispered.

"Hell, I'm exhausted after chasing him all over the place." Stefan replied with a frown.

"Why don't you go get changed and I'll make you some dinner," Rebekah offered. Stefan nodded, kissing her forehead and headed up the stairs.

Nate wiggled out of Carolines' grip and ran after his uncle, chasing him up the stairs. The doorbell rang moments later, causing Rebekah to jump forward and open the door, revealing a well-dressed Klaus.

He wore a dark green Henley underneath a leather jacket and dark jeans. His necklaces peaked out underneath his shirt where two buttons were left open.

"Hello, Caroline," he said stepping into the house.

"Hello, Niklaus," Rebekah smiled at her brother, running into his arms. He gave her a quick hug, his attention more on the other blonde than his sister.

"Ready to go?" Klaus asked, giving Caroline a small smile.

She nodded and stepped forward but the sound of feet running down the stairs. Nate stopped in front of her, looking up with his sad blue eyes. "You're leaving? But I just got home."

Caroline bent down to his level, "I'm sorry, I'll be back soon though. We'll make sundaes when I come back, how does that sound?"

"Fine," Nate grumbled, letting Caroline pull him into her arms for a quick hug.

"Why don't you go watch Monsters Inc with uncle Stefan and by the time the movie's over I'll be home." Caroline smiled when she pulled back, earning a smile from Nate in return. She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "besides Aunt Bekah needs help with a prank that only you can help her with."

"Really?" he asked eyes wide in surprise.

"Really," She nodded.

Nates' mood had done a one eighty and he was happy again. "You should go now!" He said, eager for them to leave so they could get down to business. He bounced over to Rebekah, jumping into her arms and whispering in her ear, causing her to laugh.

"I guess that's our cue to go," Caroline said shyly to Klaus who watched the scene with interest. He nodded and opened the door, Caroline followed behind. Before the door closed she called out to her son, "goodbye, Nathanial."

She didn't get a response from him, Bonnie and Rebekah both yelled their goodbyes but Nate was too busy whispering something to his aunt, most likely about the prank she had planned.

* * *

"Who are we pranking, Aunt Bekah?" Nate asked during dinner.

Bonnie had left after Caroline and Klaus, leaving Rebekah to cook both boys dinner. She wasn't much of a cook; Stefan was the one who belonged in the kitchen. But being a good fiancé, she made dinner for him and Nate.

"My brother Klaus." She smirked. Stefan rolled his eyes, eating his spaghetti quietly, not wanting to get involved in whatever she had planned. "I was thinking we could use Percy to scare him."

"That's perfect! Does he like snakes?"

"Hates them, he's absolutely petrified of them." Rebekah replied with a sly smile.

"Excellent," Nate laughed, rubbing his hands together.

"I don't like you involving my nephew in your revenge," Stefan interrupted the two, stopping them in their tracks.

"I don't like it when you kiss Aunt Bekah, it's gross." Nate remarked causing both adults to laugh.

"Deal with it Stefan, I have major revenge to inflict on my brother and Nate wants to help," Rebekah taunted, sticking out her tongue.

Nate copied her and that was when Stefan had given up all hope of talking any reason into his fiancé. "Fine, do whatever you want but I'm staying out of it."

"No one asked you, Uncle Stefan, me and Aunt Bekah are going to do this prank on our own and it will be awesome." Nate said.

Stefan pointed his fork at his nephew, "you, finish your dinner and then you and Beks can finish all this talk about your epic prank."

Nate nodded and set to work on his dinner, shovelling forkfuls of spaghetti into his mouth. Rebekah and Stefan ate at a more leisurely pace, talking about their day.

* * *

"Are you sure Nate couldn't have come with us?" Klaus questioned for the fifth time that night.

"I'm sure," Caroline said, reassuring that her son was fine and probably forgotten the fact that she wasn't around for the night.

They were sitting at a little table by a window that overlooked a small river that ran alongside the restaurant. He had taken her to a small Indian restaurant on the edge of town, not far over from her house, within walking distance. They made brief small talk on their way, her mostly comforting him that Nate was fine.

Klaus had mentioned that he was welcomed to tag along but she would never do that to Klaus or Nate. They barely knew each other; it wouldn't be fair nor right. It would only be one date with him; she could spend one night away from her son if only to shut her future sister-in-law up.

He explained that the restaurant, _Ahin's Indian Cuisine,_ was the best place to eat on that side of town; saying that it tasted close to the real thing. It was quaint, the walls a dark yellow with accents of red. It was a busy place but luckily Klaus used his connections of frequenting their often, and got them a table on short notice.

"So you were serious when you said you don't date," Klaus noted between bites of chicken curry.

"Yup," She replied, playing with the noodles on her plate. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"A beautiful woman like you would have hundreds of men lining up at your door."

Caroline shrugged, "maybe I'm not interested in hundreds of men, and maybe I just want to be left alone."

Klaus wanted to laugh but understood the seriousness of their conversation. He had just served her a compliment and she didn't even take notice. "Would you be interested in one?"

Caroline looked up from her plate, locking eyes with Klaus. Was he asking if she would be interested in him? Her stomach flip flopped at the thought, though she would never let him know he was getting under her skin. "No," she lied, taking a bite of her meal.

He smirked, almost like he knew what she was thinking. "You're a terrible liar, Caroline Forbes."

"Wasn't lying," She scoffed.

"Are you sure about that?" He questioned, one eye brow raised and his blue eyes dancing with amusement.

"I don't remember twenty-questions being on the menu, so can we just finish our meal without the inquiry," Caroline snapped.

Klaus looked taken a back and nodded quickly. It looked like she had just told him that she ran over his puppy. His expression was saddened as he hung his head and finished his meal.

Caroline felt guilty, she didn't mean to snap at him but she didn't like him questioning her lifestyle. For the past five years she hadn't dated and she liked it that way but then Klaus came along and made her rethink everything she had stood for.

"I'm sorry," She finally said after what felt like hours of silence. "Friends?"

Klaus smiled so wide that his dimples appeared causing Caroline to forgive everything and anything he had done or could ever do. "Friends," he agreed, picking up his wine glass and tapping it with hers. They took a drink, toasting their friendship and settled back into finishing their meal.

As they exited the restaurant, Caroline remembered the whole reason she was even on the date. That she needed him to drop by her house in order for Rebekah to fulfill her revenge.

"Hey, would you like to make sundaes with me and Nate tonight?" She asked and instantly felt bad for lying to him.

Klaus turned to look at her, the light returning to his eyes as he smiled. "Sure."

The two began their walk back to Carolines' house. She quickly sent off a text to Rebekah saying they were on their way back. "So what do you do for work?" Caroline questioned, wanting to fill the silence that had settled between them.

"I own my own gallery; promote my paintings and other artists with talent."

"Are you any good?"

Klaus smirked, "I can show you some time?"

Caroline being the sucker for not only art but for Klaus' smirk agreed. "I would love that," she smiled up at him. "Nate is quite the artist himself, you should see his stuff. But you can't get him to sit still long enough to actually finish anything."

"I was like that when I was younger, I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

"I hope so. You know, I just want the best for him."

Klaus nodded, "You're a good mother, Caroline. I know I don't know you and Nate very well but the fact that you put him first always proves how amazing you are."

Caroline blushed, it was like he somehow knew what she was thinking or meaning. "You didn't have to say that."

"I wanted to. I understand now why you don't date and I hope I'm not pushing any boundaries with our friendship, but I really hope I could be an exception." Klaus said; his voice laced with sincerity and honesty.

Caroline didn't know how to respond but felt her heart warming towards him. "We'll see, but how about we remain friends?" She asked. "For now."

"Sounds perfect, I would be honoured to be your friend."

They walked the rest of the way making idle chit chat. Caroline saw this whole other side to Klaus, though she didn't know much about him to begin with. It turned out he was passionate for art, music and culture. He had travelled the world and even helped charities in Africa for a few months some odd years ago.

Caroline realized that if she were to ever date, that he would be the one she would want. He had a huge heart and was very open and honest. The man had barely any flaws.

* * *

Rebekah had waited forever for the very moment when Klaus walked through the front door. When they finally reached her house, Caroline ushered him inside, sitting him on the couch to prepare tea for the both of them.

The time had arrive, Klaus was alone and sitting on the couch with Caroline nowhere in sight. Rebekah signalled for Nate that it was his time to shine. She watched as her snuck down the stairs, Percy in hand, and crept up behind Klaus, gently placing the snake on the back of the couch beside him.

Nate returned to where Rebekah was waiting on the bottom of the staircase, Klaus in view. Percy slowly slithered its way onto his shoulder, and since he was still small, Klaus had no feeling of the snake on him.

It was only until Percy had climbed its way onto his shoulder and began to slither its way down his front that Klaus noticed. He shrieked, jumping up from the couch he brushed at the snake and sent it flying across the room. Klaus flew back to the far wall, trying to get as far away from the snake as he could.

Both Nate and Rebekah burst out laughing causing Klaus to look at them in confusion. "I believe now we're even, Nik," Rebekah smirked, pushing herself off the stairs to enter the living room where Klaus was still standing looking shocked.

"That's not funny, Rebekah, you know how I hate snakes." Klaus snarled, his fist clenching in anger.

"Relax, it was just a joke."

It was just then that Nate came up to both of them holding Percy, arms extended. "How can you not like snakes?" Both siblings jumped back trying to stay clear of the snake.

Nate took notice to the two adults and stepped closer to Klaus who only backed away. An evil grin appeared on Nate's face and he ran forward, Percy still in hands. Klaus turned on his heel and sprinted away from the boy and snake, leaving a hysterical Rebekah in their wake.

* * *

Caroline was in the kitchen with Stefan, talking about the date with Klaus when she heard the screaming and laughter. It sounded like the prank went off without any problems.

What she wasn't expecting was for Klaus to come running into the kitchen with Nate trailing behind holding Percy. It was quite a sight, Klaus running away from a four year old and snake. He looked petrified and Caroline took pity on him, being in the same position as him not too long ago.

"Nathanial!" Caroline bellowed, stopping both Nate and Klaus in their tracks. "What are you doing?"

"Chasing Klaus," he replied innocently.

"Without me?" Caroline asked, mocking disappointment. She then smirked and winked, signalling for Nate to begin chasing Klaus with Percy, with Caroline joining in.

Stefan opened up the back door, allowing the three of them to take their activity outside. Caroline and Nate chased Klaus around the small backyard, all of them laughing and having fun. Caroline had gotten close to Klaus and stuck out her foot, tripping Klaus.

He stumbled to the ground, allowing Nate and Percy to catch up. Nate stood over him with a matching smirk to Carolines'. Klaus looks scared being so close to a snake.

"Percy isn't so scary," Nate said, holding the black and white snake out for Klaus to see. He sat up so he was eye level with Nate and Percy but kept his distance. "He's a California King snake, non-poisonous. He won't grow very big, maybe another foot or something. His name's Percy and he's really friendly."

"I see," Klaus said as he eyed the snake that was wrapped around Nates' hand.

"Percy's harmless." Caroline agreed, reaching her hand out for Klaus to stand up. "Still scared of a little snake?"

"Not so much," He smiled, looking down at the snake and boy.

"Nate, why don't you go put Percy away and clean up and we'll make sundaes?" Caroline suggested.

"Okay!" Nate exclaimed, running back inside the house with his snake.

"I hope your not made about the prank or him chasing you with his snake. Nate does that to everyone, he even did it to Bekah last month. You're not officially welcomed into the house until you've been chased by Percy."

"It's fine," Klaus smiled.

"Would you like to stay for a sundae?" Caroline asked as they made their way back inside.

"I would love to, as long as there's no snakes involved."

Caroline shook her head, holding her hands up. "No snakes, I promise."

Klaus followed Caroline inside, and sat on the stool at the breakfast bar watching Caroline prepare the ingredients for the sundaes. Nate hopped up beside him, eyeing his mother and the ice cream.

"We got you good," Nate giggled. "Best. Prank. Ever."

"I have to agree, it was a good prank," Klaus responded.

"Don't you get any ideas, Nik, we're even now." Rebekah said coming into the kitchen, joining in on the action.

"Thank god!" Stefan exclaimed from beside her. "Now let's get to the good part of ice cream and chocolate!"

"Yeah!" Nate cheered causing the adults to laugh.

Caroline dished out the ice cream, handing everyone bowls who would in turn decorate with their choice of seasoning. Stefan loved sundaes, which was why they had every topping imaginable from sprinkles to caramel to chocolate sauce, cherries and even gummies.

Caroline sat back and watched Nate take a liking to Klaus, the two bonding over the face that they both topped their ice cream with an unimaginable amount of gummy worms.

Suddenly Caroline felt herself thinking about what Klaus had said earlier but quickly shook it from her mind. They were friends and she didn't need to ruin a friendship with a relationship that would never work. She made a promise to always put her son first and that's what she was going to do, even if she did find her feelings for Klaus were growing.

* * *

**A/N: What'd you think? Did you like the return of Percy the Snake? Was the Klaroline good? Or was the best part Nate and Klaus? **

**I think I would like a Beta for this fic, so if you would like to be a lifesaver and help me out just PM me! I need all the help I can get, I really want to make this fic worth reading.**

**One last thing, I started a new Story called The Devil Within and its with a badass human Caroline and hybrid Klaus so check it out if you want. Also Born to Run is next to be updated and hoping to get that done as soon as possible. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you for everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited, followed, it really means a lot to me and I love you all! **

**A big welcome and thanks to my new beta Angelwings202, she's amazing! Also a thank you to chibichibi98 who gives last minute advice. **

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Rebekah waltzed into the Salvatore/Forbes residence with purpose, carrying her purse, magazines and large wish list wedding book. It was early morning; she had come over for breakfast and to see her fiancé before he left for work. She entered the kitchen, dropping everything onto the kitchen table before striding over to Stefan who was standing at the counter preparing breakfast.

The kitchen was large, as was the rest of the house. There was a window on the far wall where the kitchen table sat that allowed natural light to flow through, brightening the room. The natural light emphasised the modern touch of the kitchen with the pale blue walls and stainless steel appliances, perfectly finished off with dark grey marble countertops and pure white cupboard doors. In the middle of the kitchen sat a center island with four stools along one side.

She snaked her arms around him from behind. "Smells good," she whispered into his ear, hugging him.

Stefan turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down, nuzzling her neck. "You smell good," Stefan murmured, nipping her neck.

Rebekah squealed, pushing him backwards. Stefan still had his arms around her waist and easily pulled her back against him, brushing his lips softly against hers. "Good Morning," he said, smiling down at her before kissing her nose.

"Morning," She smiled stepping up on her tip toes to peck his lips. Stefan tightened his grip on her hips, picking her up to set her on top of the breakfast bar.

Rebekah let out a surprised shriek and giggled, pulling him towards her with her arms wrapped around his neck. Stefan ran his hands up and down her arms then to her legs, gently wrapping them around his waist. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her flush against him so they were nose to nose.

"I think you should call in sick today, maybe spend the whole day with me…" Rebekah suggested before adding: "in bed."

"You're evil," he remarked, leaning in and capturing her lips with a sweet kiss.

Rebekah, being the one who wanted to take things further, pressed her body into his and tightening her legs around his waist, deepened the kiss. One hand was draped around his shoulder while the other ran through his hair.

She pulled back, catching him off guard, "I know." Rebekah jumped off the counter, patting a stunned Stefan on the chest.

"I think we have enough time for a quickie," Stefan proposed, grabbing Rebekah from behind and lifting her off the ground. He spun her around so she was facing him, with hands cupping her face kissed her.

"No quickies in the kitchen, especially while I'm home!" Caroline announced as she entered the kitchen, a sleepy Nate following close behind.

"What's a quickie?" He asked, looking up at his mother in wonder.

"Nothing, just go and sit down at the table for breakfast," Caroline ordered. Nate made his way over to the kitchen table beside the window.

Rebekah and Stefan were huddled together by the stove giggling like children. Caroline narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," they sobered immediately, looking slightly guilty. "The breakfast is burning," she noted before turning to join Nate at the table.

Stefan spun around to see that sure enough the pancakes he had been preparing were sizzling. When they were removed from the griddle the underside was completely burnt causing Stefan to toss them in the trash.

"Why so grumpy?" Rebekah questioned as she joined the others.

"Someone kept me up late talking on the phone," Caroline explained, "funny; I didn't know Stefan was a teenage girl."

"Sorry, Care." He apologized, giving her a small smile before turning back around to prepare breakfast.

"So today I was thinking we could discuss the wedding. I already have the venue booked for the last weekend in August, I called-" Rebekah began before being cut off by Caroline.

"Last weekend of August?!" She shrieked, taking everyone off guard. "As in less than two months?"

Rebekah nodded, "it was the only date they had available without having to wait a year."

"We have two months to plan a wedding?" Caroline questioned in disbelief.

"Yup," Stefan smirked as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of Nate. A glass of milk and fork was added which Nate happily picked up and began to dig into the breakfast.

"That's impossible," She shrieked, throwing up her hands. "It'll never happen!"

"Oh hush," Rebekah interrupted. "It'll be fine. We just have to call the bakery, the caterer, the florist and just a few other things."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "this wedding is going to be the death of me."

"It'll be fine, Caroline; you know what Bekah is like." Stefan comforted when he joined them at the table with a few plates piled with pancakes. He placed them in front of the girls before grabbing his own plate with utensils. Coffee had finished brewing by that time so he prepared three cups.

The adults dug into their breakfast, complimenting Stefan on a job well done. All eyes had been taken off Nate, not noticing he had finished his plate. That gave him the opportunity to leaf through the book that Rebekah had brought over.

Rebekah, who had been immersed in wedding conversation, looked over to her nephew to see his sticky fingers over her wedding book. "Nate!" She shrieked eyes wide in horror.

Nate looked up confused; he was leaned over the table, both hands placed onto one of the open pages. "What?"

"Your hands are all over my book!" She cried scrambling to her feet to pull the book away from the boy. She looked down to see the tears in his eyes and bent down beside him. "I'm sorry, Nate, this book is just really important."

He nodded solemnly, wiping his eyes. Rebekah gave him a quick kiss on his head before walking over to the sink, book in hand.

Caroline went to stand up but felt a hand on her shoulder, holding her down. She looked up to see Stefan staring down at her, "I'll handle it."

Stefan made his way around the table to where Nate was sitting, eyes still watery. "Come on buddy, let's get you cleaned up." He reached down and picked up Nate, holding him close.

Caroline mouthed a 'thank you' to Stefan who smiled in response. Stefan climbed the main stairs and entered the main bathroom. He set Nate down on the closed toilet lid beside the sink.

"You know Aunt Rebekah isn't mad at you right?" Stefan asked, wetting a washcloth under the faucet.

"No," Nate pouted.

Stefan kneeled down in front of him and looked into his blue eyes that reminded him so much of his brother. "Well she's not, Aunt Bekah loves you very much, and she's just stressed." Nate nodded. "Let's get you cleaned up."

He grabbed the little hands, wiping them with the wet cloth. Stefan then wiped around his mouth and then looked over his nephew, checking to make sure he was all clean.

The whole time Nate never smiled and barely spoke a word to Stefan which was rare. "What's wrong, bud?"

"Nothing," Nate replied, looking down in his lap as he played with his hands.

Stefan placed two fingers under his chin to bring his head up so he could look at him. Stefan saw confusion and hurt in his eyes which broke Stefans' heart. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that?"

"Yeah," he murmured, looking back down at his lap again. Stefan watched but didn't say anything, noticing he was thinking hard about something. He wore the same expression that Caroline did when she thought too hard. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were turned into a frown. "What's going to happen after you get married?"

"Well Rebekah and I will move in together."

"You're leaving me?" Nate questioned, eyebrows raised and his blue eyes containing a hint of sadness.

"What?!" Stefan gasped. "I could never nor will I ever want to leave you, you're my best friend. I promise that I'll visit every day just to see you and we'll watch movies all the time, so it'll be like I never left." Nate nodded, giving him a small smile. "I will always be here for you."

Nates' face lit up, "family is forever, right?"

Stefan smiled; it was something Damon always said which had transpired onto Caroline who had no doubt ingrained it into their son. "You're wise beyond your years, Nate."

"I know," he smiled brightly up at him.

Stefan pulled his nephew into a hug, trying to comfort himself. He felt guilty for leaving him, especially after seeing him almost every day since he was born. Nate was like a son and it broke his heart that he wouldn't be around as much as before. Stefan tried to reassure himself, that they would still see each other all the time.

When he pulled back, Stefan noticed the light back in Nates' eyes. He was back to being his typical four year old self. "I have something I need to ask you," he said, getting his attention back.

"What is it?"

"How would you like to be the ring bearer at our wedding?"

Nate scrunched up his nose, "what's that?"

"You walk down the aisle with the rings and give them to us at the altar," Stefan tried to explain.

"That sounds girly."

Stefan chuckled at the comment, "it would mean a lot to your Aunt and I."

"Anything for you, Uncle Stefan," Nate winked.

"Thanks, little man." Stefan said and ruffled his hair. "Why don't you go down stairs and finish your breakfast?"

Nate jumped up from his seat and ran out of the bathroom. Stefan sighed of relief, glad that he had agreed and didn't put up too much of a fight.

/

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Rebekah flitted back to the table where Caroline was sitting. She dropped the book down onto the table, the page that had been ruined sitting open. Nate hadn't done much damage, just smudged a few photographs.

"He didn't mean to do that," Caroline said, nodding down at the book.

"I know and I feel bad, I over reacted," Rebekah blushed. "You know I love Nate, right? I would never purposely hurt him?"

Caroline nodded, "I know, just wait till you have kids yourself." Rebekah looked horrified, her jaw dropping open causing Caroline to laugh hysterically. "What no kids in the near future?"

"Not if I can help it!" Rebekah exclaimed, clearly disturbed at the thought of children.

The other blonde chuckled, knowing Stefan too well to know that he won't be able to wait to have kids. She also knew that Rebekah was far from ready for kids.

"On to more serious matters," Rebekah finally said breaking the silence. "Will you be my maid of honour?"

"I would love to!" Caroline cried, jumping up from her seat and pulling Rebekah into a hug. "We better start planning," She said seriously, pulling Rebekah back down into their vacated seats.

The two sat huddled over Rebekahs' wish list book, completely ignoring the mess from breakfast as they talked about the impending wedding. Two months to plan a wedding was going to be a challenge but something the two of them could handle.

Rebekah and Caroline were similar in the way they tackled problems. Both were organized and controlling, always wanting everything to be perfect.

They were broken from their planning when they heard Nate running down the stairs yelling something inaudible at the top of his lungs. When he entered the kitchen, he ran right at Rebekah, jumping onto her lap.

He sat sideways quietly staring up at his aunt, "Uncle Stefan said I get to be ring bearer."

"Is that right?"

"Yup," he beamed up at her. "I think it's kind of girly but you know I'll do anything for you Aunt Bekah."

"How sweet of you," she praised, kissing the top of his head.

"I think you should let me walk down the aisle with a light saber; that would be so awesome!"

"No light saber," Caroline roared.

"What no light sabers?" Stefan whined as he entered the kitchen all dressed for work in a suit and tie.

"No," Rebekah said, agreeing with Caroline.

"I guess that means the star wars theme is out of the running."

"No!" Nate boasted.

"No Star Wars, no Harry Potter, and no Lord of the Rings theme. We're going to have a normal wedding like a normal family," Caroline warned.

Stefan and Nate broke out in laughter, "we're not a normal family."

"No, we most certainly are not," Rebekah sighed.

Caroline got up from the table giving her a reassuring smile, "I got your back, future sister." She grabbed the plates from the table and proceeded to clean things up from breakfast. "Nate, honey, can you come help me clean up."

Nate reluctantly slid off Rebekahs' lap, grabbing the remaining dishes from the table and followed his mother, helping her load the dishwasher. Caroline picked Nate up when all was finished and took him upstairs to change and get ready for the day.

Rebekah waited until the coast was clear before jumping up and onto Stefan who still stood in the doorway. "Are you sure you have to go to work today?"

"Yes, I have a bunch of meetings lined up and I'm already running late," Stefan said before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss.

Rebekah pouted before returning the kiss. "Have a good day," she said with a small smile on her face.

"You too," Stefan retorted, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Rebekah watched him walk out of the kitchen and into the front hall, grabbing his briefcase and exited the house. She frowned watching him go, sad that he'll be gone the whole day. If she had it her way they would live off family money and never leave the bedroom. But Stefan was a modest man and wanted to earn his money and work hard for it.

/

Klaus had had a busy morning with a few meetings with artists and potential clients wanting commissioned pieces. He was at a point in his business where it was doing well and staying afloat. It was actually really starting to take off and his pieces were getting more acknowledged and promoted within the art world.

He had told his assistant who practically ran the gallery for him while he was occupied that he was heading out for lunch. Klaus had made plans for lunch with Elijah earlier in the week, so Klaus found himself making his way across the city to their favourite restaurant, Al Dante.

Luckily Elijah had made reservations, knowing the place would be busier during lunch time. Al Dante was a fancy Italian restaurant in the middle of the city, attached to a shopping center and business buildings.

When Klaus entered he saw his prediction was correct, every table was occupied and many other people were waiting to be seated. Klaus made his way to the hostess, telling her he had a reservation under the name Mikaelson. She nodded and ushered him into the restaurant, taking him to his table.

He was disappointed to find his brother wasn't alone but with Katherine. Klaus slid into his seat across from Elijah and beside his sister-in-law. The two had stopped their conversation to look up expectantly at Klaus.

"You're late," Elijah stated.

"Duly noted, brother; I had back to back meetings all morning and couldn't afford to leave early," Klaus responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice. It was just like his brother to point out the flaws in him.

A waitress stopped by the table for their orders, each being placed respectively. When the waitress was gone Katherine finally spoke up. "So how's your love life, Niklaus?" She asked with a smirk.

Klaus wanted to growl at the question. First off, he hated when she called him that and felt only his mother was allowed to use that name. Katherine used it when she was trying to be the irritating sister that he already had.

"Just fine." He snapped, taking a sip of the drink that had just been placed in front of him. "And how is the pregnancy going so far?"

"It's fine, we should be finding out the gender at our next appointment. But only if Elijah wants to know," She smirked, squeezing his hand.

"Anything that you want, sweetheart," Elijah said, gazing into her eyes. Klaus wanted to puke at the public display of affection that he wasn't used to seeing from his brother. There was something about Katherine that brought that out in his brother, something very unnatural.

"Whipped," Klaus coughed.

"Mature," his brother rolled his eyes.

"How's Caroline?" Katherine questioned, her eyes shining with mirth.

"Just fine,"

"Elijah, did you hear he went on a date with Caroline Forbes?" She asked, looking over to her husband who just shook his head.

"It's nothing," Klaus groaned, not wanting to get into the likes of Caroline.

"You haven't been on a date in years, Niklaus, this is not 'nothing'" Elijah said, suddenly interested. "Tell me about the girl."

Lucky for Klaus he was about to speak when the waitress reappeared with their plates of food. Klaus dug in right away, keeping him from about talking about Caroline. However that did not stop Katherine from talking about her, it seems she had bonded with Caroline during the engagement party.

Katherine spoke nothing but praises for the blonde beauty, saying how well the two got along. She gave her all these tips for nausea while pregnant and even reassured her about the cravings and weight gain. This seemed to peak Elijah's' curiosity and interest.

"So you like this woman?" Elijah finally said when he finished his lunch.

Klaus looked up at his older brother very seriously and said, "I fancy her, yes."

"But she has a child."

"And you're an insensible moron, yet Katherine still married you," Klaus replied dryly. "You're point is?"

"That she has a child, isn't it a little dangerous to be involved with a single mother?" He questioned honestly.

Katherine scowled and hit his arm, offended at the question. "There is nothing wrong with single mothers!" She snapped.

"I'm just saying that Niklaus hasn't dated in years and the first woman he's interested in has a son. He has no experience with children; he would only be a disappointment to Caroline and Nathanial."

"Elijah!" Katherine gasped. "That's not true and you know that, Klaus practically raised Henrik."

Klaus had heard enough and pushed his chair out from the table. "I've had enough of this, brother." He leaned over and pecked Katherine on the cheek, "always a pleasure to see you, Katherine."

"Klaus, don't go." Katherine pleaded but he shook his head and left the table.

He couldn't decide if his brother was right or wrong about Caroline and Nate. Klaus headed back to the studio, feeling the sudden need to paint, to take his thoughts away from the confrontation he had with his brother. He needed to get his feelings onto canvas to truly understand what he was feeling.

Katherine watched her brother-in-law exit through the door and turned to look at her husband who was typing away on his phone, probably an email to his assistant or boss. "You're an ass."

He looked up, eyebrows raised. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do you not think Klaus has already thought of everything before pursuing Caroline? Did you really think he would be that selfish to get involved with a single mother if he did not think he could handle it?"

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Of course you don't," Katherine muttered in annoyance before calmly standing up from the table. "I'll see you at home tonight" she said over her shoulder as she walked away from the table.

Elijah now watched helplessly as his wife stormed out of the restaurant, leaving him to tend to the bill. Not only had he angered his brother but also his wife and he wasn't sure how he managed that.

In all honesty, Elijah was trying to protect Klaus. He was trying to get him to understand that it wouldn't be easy dating this woman as it had with the others; that he had to consider the boy and his feelings above all else.

/

Caroline and Rebekah had been planning the wedding for a majority of the morning, barely taking a break. Rebekah had made a list of calls to be made later while Caroline flipped through the book and picked out flower arrangements.

"What was it like planning your wedding with Damon? Stefan mentioned you two were engaged." Rebekah spoke up causing Caroline to freeze what she was doing.

"We never got to the planning part," Caroline admitted, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

"I'm so sorry," Rebekah placed her hand over Carolines' and gave a slight squeeze.

Caroline shrugged, "it wasn't really an engagement. He just promised that when he got better we would get married, something small and intimate. He passed away a few days later."

"Caroline."

"Bekah, please we don't need to talk about this, I've moved on."

"To Klaus?" She questioned, with a smirk.

"What about Klaus?" A small voice asked.

Caroline looked over her shoulder to see Nate standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She had set him to play in his adjoining playroom, having The Lion King set on the television. It seemed that he had grown bored of playing with himself and decided to eavesdrop.

Nate shuffled his feet and climbed up onto a chair between Caroline and Rebekah at the kitchen table that they had been working from. He grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling on it with crayons he had brought with him from the other room.

"Nothing," she said quickly, trying to avoid the subject.

"We were just talking about to talk about her date with my brother," Rebekah smirked.

"What about it?" Nate questioned, not even taking a glance up from his artwork. Caroline peaked at what he was working on and it looked to be a picture of the family.

"Nothing really, we just went to dinner. I wouldn't even call that a date," she tried to declare but Rebekah was having none of that.

"It was a date," she nodded. "How would you feel about your mother dating, Nate?"

"Rebekah," Caroline snarled, not wanting to bring her son into the conversation any more than she wanted to talk about Klaus.

Nate carefully put down his crayon and turned to look up at Caroline with big blue eyes, "you're dating Klaus?"

"No I'm not, sweetie, Rebekah was just being funny. Klaus and I are just friends." She replied, sending death glares at her friend cross the table.

"Good," Nate nodded with a small smile as he went back to his drawing.

Caroline and Rebekah both shared looks of confusion. They were sure that the boy loved Klaus, especially after pulling off two pranks. But it turned out to be the opposite and Caroline was determined to figure out what exactly her son feels about him. The look on Rebekahs' face read that she was thinking the same thing.

"Do you not like Klaus?" Rebekah questioned hesitantly.

"Not really," he responded innocently, running his hand across the paper with a blue crayon.

"Why's that, Nate?" Caroline now asked.

They watched silently as Nate picked up another crayon, red this time, and began to add to his picture. She thought he didn't hear the question but Nate soon filled the silence.

"I mean he's alright, he likes playing pranks and that's cool."

Rebekah furrowed her brow, "then what's wrong?"

"I just don't want him dating my mom," he shrugged, continuing on with his picture.

"Why, honey?"

Nate sighed, putting down his crayon and looked up over at his mother. "Uncle Stefan's going to leave and I don't want to lose you too."

"You're not going to lose me." Caroline cooed, pulling Nate onto her lap and hugged him.

"How do I know that?"

"You're not losing your uncle Stefan, Nate. You know after the wedding you'll see us all the time, especially if I have anything to do with it," she winked. "I also know my brother and he would never take your mother away from you. Klaus is a really great guy; you should consider yourself lucky to have him in your life."

I don't know…"

"Just get to know him Nate, give him a chance," Rebekah insisted.

"Okay," Nate finally agreed, jumping down from Caroline's lap, running back into his play room.

Caroline sighed, dragging a hand down her face. She realized that if she were to ever date that it would not go over well with her son. She knew he was always wary of new people coming into their lives but she didn't know it would be to that extent.

"We could have avoided that whole situation if you kept your mouth shut about Klaus," Caroline growled, glaring at Rebekah.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, but isn't it good that you found out sooner or later how Nate feels about Klaus?"

"No, because Klaus and I will only ever be friends," Caroline vowed.

"We'll see about that," Rebekah smirked. She knew her brother well and she knew Caroline. She wouldn't be able to stay away from Klaus for much longer, especially if she had anything to do with it.

She glanced down at the discarded drawing that Nate had left behind. It was a picture with grass on the bottom and blue sky over top, the sun sitting in the far left hand corner. On one side sat a large house and outside were a woman and child. She could only imagine that it was her and Nate seeing as the mother had yellow hair and the boy had brown.

Rebekah snapped her from her thoughts, asking her opinion on center pieces, which was the next item on their 'to do list'. Caroline forced the thoughts of Klaus and Nate from her mind and focused on the task at hand, planning the wedding.

/

Katherine and Elijah had been skirting around each other all night, avoiding the little argument they had earlier in the day. Katherine was all ready for bed while Elijah was getting ready in the en suite.

She grabbed a few blankets and a pillow and headed for the hallway when she heard Elijah come out of the bathroom. He went to go lay down in bed, not even noticing his wife standing there glaring at him.

"What are you doing?" She bellowed, taking Elijah off guard.

"Getting ready for bed?" He replied innocently and confused.

"Not there you aren't, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"I don't understand," Elijah stated as he got up from the bed, staring at her across the room.

"You. Sleep. On. The. Couch." Katherine answered slowly.

"What did I do this time?" He muttered under his breath. She heard him sounding like a four year old and rolled her eyes.

Katherine didn't bother to answer but made her way outside the bedroom. Elijah followed behind, making their way through the hallway, passing the two other bedrooms and into the large living room. Katherine threw the pile down onto one of the black leather couches.

She turned around to face him, hands on hips, and looked very angry. Elijah involuntarily gulped, aware that he was in for an earful.

"You don't understand what you did wrong earlier, do you?" She questioned.

"Not really. I told Niklaus the truth and that was that," he shrugged.

"Elijah, you are his older brother! Don't you think he looks up to you?"

Elijah shrugged again, unsure of what really to say. "He's a grown man; I don't know why he would still be looking up to me."

Katherine growled, resisting the urge to pull out her hair. "You are so dense sometimes. He will always look up to you, no matter how old he is! If he is interested in the girl, let him be with the girl!"

"But-"

"But nothing, Elijah. Don't you think he had already thought a thousand times over about how things will proceed with Caroline? Do you not think he is aware that she has a son? Do you really think he would be that selfish to not take him into consideration before anything happened?"

"I guess so," he replied, dropping his head in shame. "Why are you standing up for Niklaus?"

"Because someone has to, it should be his older brother but he's been a little out of it lately." She answered.

"I'm sorry, I'll have a talk with him tomorrow."

Katherine smiled, "good." She made her way up to him, giving him a peck on the lips before heading back to their bedroom. Elijah followed close behind, excited that he wasn't going to spend the night on the couch.

She had sent him there before and it was a terrible way to spend the night. Yes, they had expensive couches but they were far from comfortable. He had a busy day at work the next day and preferred to get a good night's rest in his bed.

"What do you think you're doing?' Katherine asked, spinning around to face her husband.

Elijah, caught off guard, stumbled backwards so he didn't bump into her. "Going to bed."

"Not with me you're not." She said. "Couch. Now."

Elijah nodded, head bowed, and made his way back out towards the couch. Katherine smirked, hoping she had gotten through to him.

/

Klaus had spent the entire afternoon painting, trying to get his mind away from lunch and everything that his brother had said. He knew things wouldn't be easy with Caroline, he knew she had a son; he knew that them dating would affect him. He pursued Caroline knowing everything, being aware of his actions and so sure of himself.

However, now it felt like he had his confidence shaken. Elijah had Klaus questioning everything he was so sure about. Yes, he still had feelings for Caroline but now he wasn't sure if he was going to act on them.

After his mother had given him that talk at the engagement party and their date, he was positive that he wanted to commit. He wanted to be the one exception for Caroline; he would do anything to convince her of it. He was willing to be friends with her first, until she trusted him enough.

Now what was Klaus going to do? Was he going to still pursue Caroline? They had everything working against them as a couple. Was he even ready to be a father? What if things didn't work out?

Yes, they were just friends but they were so much more than that. Klaus picked up a clean canvas, dipping his paintbrush into a water colour and began to paint. He wasn't sure what he was painting but he was hoping that his feelings would get figured out. He needed to decide what he was going to do about Caroline; if he could be more or be just friends.

* * *

**A/N: So is Klaus chickening out? Did Elijah have a reason to act like that with Klaus? Should Stebekah have a Star Wars themed wedding?**

**Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions. I am all ears and love hearing what you guys have to say!**

**Spoiler for next chapter: Girls and Guys' night. Just imagine all the ****possibilities****!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I bet you weren't expecting a chapter this soon. Well I've had a lot of free time lately. Thank you to anyone who reviewed, favourited, followed, or read last chapter. And a big thanks to my beta, Angelwings202, who is amazing. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"Get up, get dress, you're going out tonight," Caroline said as she entered the spacious, living room. The opposite wall held the large flat screen television and in front of it sat a white, U-Shaped sectional couch. A large square ottoman was positioned before the couch which doubled as a foot stool and table. Colourful bins lined the walls which held toys for Nate.

The television was blaring and as she walked closer she found Stefan passed out on the couch. Caroline walked around and flopped right on top of him, yet still he didn't wake up. It was mid-afternoon and after spending most of the day outside with Nate, Stefan took to the couch.

"Stefan," she whispered into his ear but nothing Caroline rolled off her brother and onto the floor. She stood up and leaned over and began to hit him while yelling, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Stefan groaned, throwing his arm up to stop the assaults. "I'm awake." After a few moments he finally sat up to see Caroline staring back at him expectantly. "What?"

"You're going out tonight," She replied with a bright smile.

"With who?"

"Klaus, Kol, Elijah and Nate; it'll be a guy's night!" She exclaimed.

"Guys night?" Stefan questioned.

Caroline sighed, "yes, Stefan, guys' night. Rebekah, Bonnie and Katherine are coming over tonight and you need to get to know your fiancés brothers. So up and at 'em!"

"Caroline," he whined.

"Are we five?" She asked with raised eyebrows. "Get up."

Stefan rolled his eyes but obeyed anyways, pulling himself upright and getting up off the couch. Caroline smiled to herself as she watched her brother walk up the stairs to get ready.

Caroline had to get Nate and herself ready for their night out. It was her idea, one that she had to push for. She was quite surprised by how much persuasion was needed to get Rebekah to agree to it. But it was a perfect opportunity for Stefan to bond with his future family and for Bonnie to get to know Rebekah and Caroline to get to know Katherine.

Caroline herself had to get ready and also Nate for their night out. Caroline had suggested it and eventually, after much persuasion, Rebekah agreed to it. This would give the perfect opportunity for Stefan to bond with his future family and the same for Rebekah.

She followed behind Stefan up the stairs and found Nate in his room attempting to put together a puzzle. He had been told of the plans earlier in the day but knew the little boy had quickly forgotten about them.

"Hi, momma!" He said, looking up from the puzzle. His hair was sticking up all over the place and his shirt looked like he had spilt something down it.

"Hey, buddy; it's time to get ready." Nate looked up with a questioning look, "you're going out tonight with Uncle Stefan and Aunt Bekahs' brothers, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." He nodded, scrambling to his feet. "Can I pick out what I wear?"

"Sure," Caroline smiled, following him towards his closet.

Nate had settled on wearing jeans and a black sweater with Lightening McQueen on it, who happened to be his favourite Disney character. After pulling on his shoes, that were also adorned with Lightening McQueen he ran up to fetch Stefan.

While the boys were getting ready, Caroline took the chance to prepare herself for the night ahead. The girls had planned a movie night, which was why Caroline suggested, well kind of kicked Stefan get out of the house for the night.

She rifled through the cupboards of the kitchen, digging up bowls and chips. She grabbed a few wine glasses, placing them on the center island where two bottles of wine already sat.

Caroline quickly ran around the house, tidying things up a bit. Most of it was toys that Nate had forgotten to put away. When she heard two pairs of feet clambering down the stairs, she made her way into the front hallway.

"Nate, when your done with your toys can you please put them away?" She asked arms folded with one of his toy cars still in her hand.

The boy looked up with excitement when he registered what was in her hand, "I've been looking for this for forever!" He exclaimed as he reached forward to take it from his mother.

"You know the rule, toys stay at home," Caroline said eying him expectantly.

Nate frowned, "I know."

"Here, come give your mommy a kiss before you go," she suggested, kneeling down and opening her arms with Nate jumping into them happily. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Have fun and be careful around Kol."

"I know." He pulled back and Caroline reluctantly let him go. Nate grabbed onto Stefan's' hand and she watched from the doorway as the two walked down the front walkway. "Bye!" Nate yelled, turning to wave.

"See you later!" She called after them.

Caroline went inside to prepare for movie night, grabbing blankets and pillows, throwing them in a big pile in front of the couch. She brought out the wine and chips and placing them on the ottoman.

A half hour later the other girls had arrived, all clad in baggy sweaters and sweatpants. Unlike the boys, the girls had decided on a night to stay in and relax.

Once all were settled comfortably on the large couch, they decided on what show they wanted to watch since deciding on having a marathon. Bonnie was snuggled up on the end with a blanket wrapped around her with Katherine beside her. Caroline sat beside Katherine and Rebekah on the other side, both girls sharing the same blanket.

Bonnie spoke up first, "I think we need to watch One Tree Hill."

Rebekah shook her head furiously, "tonight definitely feels like a Gossip Girl night."

"No way, we have to watch Friday Night Lights!" Caroline exclaimed.

It was always the same argument between the three girls, each having their own opinions of which show was truly the greatest. They never came to a finally conclusion, having to have Stefan or Nate to decide.

"We watched One Tree Hill last time," Rebekah whined.

"Let Katherine decide, she is the guest." Caroline suggested, causing all three pairs of eyes to turn to the brunette who was already stuffing her face with chips.

"What I was hungry," she shrugged, plopping another chip into her mouth.

"What do you want to watch, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, or Friday Night Lights?" Bonnie asked, speaking up and handed Katherine the three DVD sets.

Katherine took a long while just studying the shows closely. When Caroline had called her she said she wasn't a fan of watching television, stating it would end up melting her brain.

"I think we should watch this one, it has the most attractive guys," Katherine finally said, holding up the first season of Friday Night Lights.

Caroline shot up in excitement while Rebekah and Bonnie scowled. "I agree with Katherine," Caroline smirked, grabbing the box set and striding across the room to pop it into the DVD player.

"You would," Rebekah mumbled under her breath.

Caroline jumped back into her spot, remote in hand. "Be prepared to cry," she said to Katherine as she pressed play.

* * *

Klaus had been dreading the night out his sister had quickly planned. She had only informed him a few days ago, after he had lunch with Elijah. She claimed it would allow Stefan to get to know the family better.

He was on good terms with Stefan, talked to him on occasion when they were together. Yet, his other brothers hadn't had the chance to really bond which left Stefan as an outsider in their tight knit family.

They were given an address earlier in the day, Rebekah had everything already planned. He wasn't sure where they were headed other than that it was a ten minute walk from his apartment.

Klaus had spent the day with Kol, claiming that Bonnie had finally had enough of spending time with him and had kicked him out of the apartment for the time being. His little brother was always annoying others with his charm.

They had been walking for a few minutes already, the sun beginning to set. Kol had been talking away, not caring that Klaus was barely listening.

"I don't want to go," Klaus grumbled, dragging his feet with every step he took.

"Come on, Nik; we have to go to initiate him into the family." Kol whined from beside.

Klaus rolled his eyes, "There's a reason she kept him away from us all these years, our family is crazy."

"I beg to differ," Kol said with a smirk.

"Says the crazy one," he whispered under his breath as he began to pick up his pace, desperate to get away from the conversation.

"I heard that!" His brother yelled after him.

Klaus turned his head and with a smirk he replied, "I meant for you to."

When they finally reached the address their sister had given them, Klaus was surprised that it was an arcade. He thought Rebekah mentioned that Nate was going to join them for the night but wasn't sure. The two brothers stopped outside, hesitant to go inside.

"I thought it was going to be a strip club, not a stupid arcade," Kol moaned.

Klaus reached behind him and gave his brother a smack on the back of the head. "You really think our darling sister would arrange for a 'guys night' with her fiancé and send us to a strip club?"

"I was hoping she would," he admitted with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"You should fit right in here."

"What are you doing out here?" A voice questioned, they looked up to see Elijah poking his head through the front door. "Stefan and Nathanial are already inside."

Klaus nodded and pulled Kol along with him as he began to make his way inside. Kol groaned at first but his eyes immediately lit up with wonder and amazement when they stepped through the doors.

It seemed to be not only child friendly but adult friendly as well. It was a large, open space; one side held a bar and eating area for adults and the opposite side an arcade and jungle gym. It was dimly lit but with the bright lights from games and neon signs everywhere, allowed enough lighting to see.

Stefan and Nate were waiting just inside the doors, the boy constantly looking over to the arcade. Klaus was about to make his way over to them when he was pulled aside.

"I need to talk to you," his older brother said, pulling him by the arm to the side. He watched Elijah wave at Stefan for them to go ahead and when he turned around he saw Nate drag Kol into the arcade while Stefan got a drink.

"What?" Klaus snapped. He was still a little put off with his brother after what he said a few days ago at lunch. Leave it to his brother to voice all his doubts, to shake his confidence and to question everything.

"I apologize for the way I acted the other day at lunch."

His eyebrows rose, "you apologize?"

"I shouldn't have said those things or doubted you," Elijah admitted, his brown eyes serious. "I assume you only have the best intentions towards Caroline and her son and if she makes you happy then you should be with her."

"Who are you and what happened to my brother?"

"My lovely wife happened, that's what."

Klaus laughed and clapped him on the back, "its fine, brother."

"I'm supporting you and whatever you decide and you would make an excellent step-father to that boy."

"Thank you."

"I think we should head back, Stefan looks a little lonely over there," Elijah suggested. Klaus threw a glance over his shoulder to see Stefan seated at the bar and sulking over his glass.

He nodded and followed his brothers' lead, each one taking a seat on a stool beside their future brother. "Where's Kol?" Klaus questioned after ordering a glass of whiskey.

"Nate took him to play in the arcade," Stefan said.

Elijah chuckled, "just where he belongs."

After a long silence, Klaus spoke up, feeling awkward for sitting in quiet. "So has Bekah gone bridezilla on you yet?

Stefan smiled, "not yet, surprisingly; though she wants to have the wedding in two months."

Elijah, who was taking a sip of his scotch, began to choke. He had clearly been taken off guard by the suddenness of the wedding, Klaus had a similar feeling. "Two months?" Elijah finally choked out.

"Two months," he nodded in conferment.

"Good luck, Mate," Klaus said, clapping Stefan on his shoulder.

"Thanks, I have I have a feeling I'll need it; especially knowing your sister," Stefan replied slightly amused.

"You know you'll be stuck with her for eternity, right?" Elijah questioned.

Klaus rolled his eyes, "don't listen to him; he's been doubting everyone's relationship lately. Is something wrong with yours, brother?"

Stefan turned to face Elijah, so he could take in the honesty of every word he was about to say, "I love your sister, I would spend forever with her," before he turned to Klaus, "I mean it, you know?"

"I know, only you could put up with all her insufferable needs for all those years," he smirked.

Elijah was about to say something but was cut off when they head two people run into the bar area, one person cursing and the other laughing.

* * *

"You should name your baby Matthew," Bonnie said, speaking over the television. She grew the attention of the three other girls who were either eating or drinking wine.

"Matthew Mikaelson," Katherine mused. "I like the sound of that."

Rebekah scrunched up her nose in disgust, "you are not naming my nephew Matthew."

"It's my baby, I can name it whatever I want. Besides it may not even be a boy." Katherine snapped.

"So Bonnie, how are things with Kol?" Caroline questioned, thinking quickly on her feet to try and avoid conflict.

"Good, "she nodded. "Really good, actually."

"You know, I think the better question is what is going on with you and Klaus," Katherine smirked, turning to face the blonde.

"This, I agree on," Rebekah added.

"We're just friends," Caroline shrugged.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "oh please, we both know you are not just friends."

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her best friend.

"What, you can't be friends with someone you slept with."

"You slept with him?" Katherine exclaimed. "How was it?" She leaned forward, her eyebrows raised.

"That is my brother!" Rebekah screeched.

"So, me and Bonnie are screwing your other brothers," The brunette replied with a shrug.

"Things I don't need to know about," Rebekah grumbled. "But you can always tell me what's going on with Nik."

"Seriously we're just friends." Caroline protested before getting up and heading into the kitchen where she could have a few minutes of prying questions.

She heard footsteps behind her; Caroline turned around and saw Bonnie. The two sat on the stools at the island, turned towards each other but didn't say a word.

"I know you, Caroline, what are you afraid to say?" Bonnie finally asked, breaking the silence.

She was final able to have a second to breathe when she heard footsteps walking into the kitchen. She wasn't surprised when she saw it was Bonnie, the two sat on the stools together in silence neither wanting to break the silence and neither really know what to say, not wanting to upset the other person.

Finally Bonnie broke the silence, "I know you, Caroline, what are you afraid to say?"

Her head dropped onto her arms, lying on the counter. "I think I have feelings for him," she mumbled.

"Feelings for who?"

"Klaus," she groaned.

Bonnie reached over to rub soothing circles on her back, "it'll be fine, Care."

"Nate doesn't like him; I can't date someone that my son doesn't like."

"Nate doesn't even know him, give it some time," she replied, lowering her head down to Caroline's level. "Maybe you should spend some time together, just the three of you?"

"I'm not ready to date; I don't even want to date."

"Caroline."

"No, Bonnie, I shouldn't be dating when I have a son. You know what my mother was like and I won't put him through that," Caroline said, sitting up now and looking over at Bonnie.

She pushed a blonde curl behind her ear, "you're not like her; I won't let you. Besides, if you like Klaus then you should go for it."

"But what happens when he leaves?"

"Who said, he'll leave? If he does, we'll get through it," Bonnie promised. "Klaus is different from all those guys your mom dated while you were growing up. I think he'll put in an effort with Nate and want to involve him. He's a good guy, Care and I really think it would be worth it to give him a chance."

"I've heard that before."

"That's because it's the truth." She smiled. "Think about it; just don't write him off so easily like the others."

"Okay, thanks, Bon." Caroline reached over and pulled her best friend into a tight embrace.

"Come on, let's get back before they start arguing again." Bonnie pulled back, grabbing Caroline's' hand and dragged her off the stool and back into the living room.

When the two returned Rebekah and Katherine were at each others' throats, "I will not name my daughter Lucille!" Katherine screeched, standing up in front of Rebekah.

"Lucy Mikaelson, that's perfect! Way better than Matthew," she remarked.

"Seriously guys, what is your problem" Caroline yelled when she entered the room. Both women turned to look up at her with awe-stricken expressions. "You're acting like a bunch of fourteen year old girls."

"We are not," they said at the same time. Instead of laughing, Rebekah and Katherine sneered at each other.

"You're family, so build a bridge and get over it," Caroline huffed, flopping down on the couch beside Rebekah. Katherine and Bonnie followed suit as they got back to watching the television.

* * *

Nate climbed up on the stool beside Klaus with Kol sitting beside Elijah. He looked over to see his younger brother ranting and raving while throwing his hands in the air exclaiming about some game.

The boy threw his tickets, no doubt money from Kol, onto the bar top. "Got quite the collection there," Klaus noted, nodding down at the pile.

Nate nodded, "I need more if I want to win the big stuffed snake."

"How much more?"

"Uhm, like ten thousand and I only have that much," Nate replied, pointing at the pile of tickets.

"That's a lot of tickets," Klaus commented.

"I don't think its five thousand."

He took a good look at the tickets, "no, I suppose not. Would you like some help?"

Nate tried to look around Klaus and saw Stefan conversing with Elijah and Kol on some heated debate. Then he glanced up at Klaus who was smiling and took a second to think about it. "Alright, but just so you know I don't like you very much."

Before Klaus could even respond, Nate grabbed his tickets and jumped off the stool. He felt very confused by that admission; the boy was so upfront and honest, just like his mother.

The whole thing really confused Klaus; he knew that he had to take his feelings into consideration. He knew that he and Caroline were a package deal; that he would always be in her life. Klaus knew that he needed to bond with Nate and build a relationship like he would with Caroline. But not once did he think that the boy may not like him.

After the previous weekend, with the prank, Klaus thought that Nate might have grown feelings for him. It seemed that he did not, that Klaus actually had to bond and earn his trust first.

Like before, the doubts became centerfold. He wanted to be with Caroline, more than anything or anyone, but he wasn't sure if he could handle the pressure. Like other relationships before, he was sure to fail.

"You coming?" Nate asked, standing a few feet away, looking up at Klaus.

He nodded, finished his drink, and followed after Nate. The boy took off at a run as soon as he entered the games part of the arcade, causing Klaus to chase after him.

However, Nate didn't get very far before having to stop because he needed money. He turned around at one of the token/change machines, waiting for Klaus to catch up.

"My mom gave me money but I ran through it all winning these tickets," He said, holding up his pile of tickets.

Klaus dug his wallet out of his pants, depositing a five dollar bill into the machine. He grabbed the tickets and tokens from Nate, saying that he needed his hands free.

Nate ran off to the closest game, Klaus following close behind to hand him his tokens. Once he won a sufficient amount of tickets on one game he would take off to the next one, never staying at one game for long.

It felt like they had been at it for hours but really it had been much less. He was surprised how long five dollars' worth of tokens lasted. Klaus followed him to each game, carrying the tickets as he watched from the side lines.

"Are you hungry?" Klaus asked while Nate was playing a round of skee ball and he responded with the shake of the head. "Thirsty? Have to go to the bathroom? Anything?"

Again, Nate shook his head, immersed in the task at hand. Klaus watched as he rolled the ball up the track but missed the middle every time. When he ran out of balls, he growled, getting only two tickets.

"This game is stupid," he said angrily, shoving the two tickets at Klaus.

"I don't think you should be saying stupid." Nate rolled his eyes, causing Klaus to sigh in exasperation. He was not getting along with him very well. "What me to give it a try?"

"Are you any good?"

"I'm alright," Klaus shrugged.

"Fine, I think I only need like fifty more tickets anyway," Nate concluded.

Klaus handed over the pile of tickets which was somewhat bigger but he didn't think it would be big enough to get him the big stuffed animal. He took out a token and put it into the little slot, allowing the row of balls to drop forward.

He took one, rolled it along the tack and got it right into the center hole. Nate didn't say a word, he was stunned speechless. So Klaus did it again and again until all the balls were gone. He managed to get a majority of them in the two center holes gaining him a high score.

"That was awesome!" Nate exclaimed, jumping up. "Do it again."

Klaus chuckled and obeyed, playing a few more games to get a load more of tickets. Nate was extremely happy with his efforts. When they were out of tokens, Klaus led them over to the ticket exchange machine to print onto a receipt for the cashier.

"How many do you think we got?" Nate asked excited.

"A lot, but it may not be exactly ten thousand," he warned.

"It will be," he nodded with determination.

Klaus picket up the first lot of tickets, threading it into the machine. They did that until all the tickets were gone and waited anxiously for the machine to tally the amount.

"It has to be enough!"

Klaus watched as the final number appeared, only two thousand tokens, nowhere close what he needed. Nate's' face fell and the boy was disappointed at his lack of success. He grabbed the receipt and kneeled down so he was at eye level to Nate, feeling sorry for him.

"Hey, why don't we go see what you can get with this?" Klaus suggested, trying to cheer Nate up.

His bottom lip stuck out into a pout and he shook his head. "I wanted the big stuffed snake."

"There may something else you like, let's go take a look," he suggested softly. Nate looked up, his blue eyes questioning. Klaus smiled warmly, "let's go."

"Okay," Nate relented, grabbing onto Klaus' hand when he stood up. Klaus led them through the herd of people and towards the back where the prizes were set up.

They stopped a foot away from the glass counter, and looked over the prizes that were under two thousand. There wasn't much, most of the good prizes were between five to ten thousand tickets. Klaus looked down to see Nate standing on his tip toes trying to see all the toys that were just out of his sight.

"Can you see?" He questioned and Nate just shook his head, upset. "Can I pick you up?"

He nodded so Klaus reached down and picked Nate up, placing him on his hip. It almost felt natural to Klaus, like he had done it a thousand times before. He turned his body slightly so both him and Nate could see the prizes that lined the wall.

"Do you see any you like?" Klaus asked.

Nate smiled, pointing at one of the smaller stuffed toys. It was a blue puppy with purple polka dots and ears. Klaus gently lowered Nate to the ground and exchanged the ticket receipt for the toy and handed it down to Nate.

The boy smiled up happily at Klaus as he hugged the toy to his chest. "It's not a giant snake but it's good enough."

Klaus laughed, "That's always good to hear. Why don't we get back to Uncle Stefan so you can get something to eat before we have to head home?"

"Okay," Nate said, grabbing onto Klaus' hand on his own free will.

The two made their way back to his brothers and Stefan who were all in a heated argument. He couldn't follow along so he helped Nate out, ordering him a kid's meal and drink from the bar.

"So, do you still hate me?" Klaus asked as he dug into his chicken nugget dinosaurs.

Nate quickly finished chewing and smiled, "not so much; but you still can't take my mom from me."

"Nate," Klaus said, trying to get him to look up at him. He felt his heart sink at those few words. "I would never take your mom away from you."

"Okay." Nate nodded before turning to his plate and finishing his meal.

Klaus watched on, amazed at what had just happened. Nate thought he was a threat, thought he would take his mother away from her. Now that he was beginning to know him, he was starting to see the bigger picture.

That he needed to be a hundred and ten percent sure before he became involved with Caroline and in turn with Nate. Right now, all his doubts were clouding his mind and judgment that he still wasn't even sure what he wanted or who he wanted.

* * *

They were half way through the season they had been watching; Rebekah and Bonnie had finished both bottles of wine that Caroline had taken out and Katherine had replaced her usual alcohol consumption by eating two bags of chips. Caroline on the other hand was somewhere in between, being the responsible adult of the group had decided just to have a few glasses of wine and was enjoying the chips that Katherine reluctantly gave her.

After Rebekah and Katherine's earlier outburst they had finally calmed down enough to enjoy the show. Katherine, Rebekah and Bonnie were starting to get involved in the show and were intrigued to see what might happen next. Katherine even admitted to liking the show despite it being about football.

They heard the front door open and the voice filtered in through the rest of the house. Kol's voice was heard over the rest, ranting about the cab ride home. Bonnie jumped up off the couch, followed by Rebekah, both running towards the sounds.

Caroline pushed herself up off the couch, helping Katherine who had a bag of chips in her hand and was still eating. The other two girls were wrapped up in their significant others arms, already kissing them. Elijah stood their awkwardly but was relieved when he saw Katherine and swooped in for a hug.

She found Nate all wrapped up in Klaus' embrace, fast asleep. She smiled at him, and nodded her head up the stairs. Klaus followed her silently up the stairs and into Nate's room.

"Thanks," she said grabbing Nate from him and placing him down gently on the bed to get him change. Klaus nodded and left the room just as Nate woke up. "Hey, did you have fun?" Caroline sat down on the bed beside Nate who started pulling himself up off the bed.

"Yeah, I won this," he held up a blue and purple stuffed puppy.

"Very nice."

"Klaus isn't so bad, I kind of like him." Nate admitted, causing Caroline's' eyes widened in surprise, catching her off guard. "If you date him, you'll still be my mom, right"

"Honey, I'll always be your mom," she said, hugging him to her. "You're never getting rid of me."

"Good," Nate chuckled.

"Come on; let's get you ready for bed."

* * *

Once Nate was all settled in bed for the night, Caroline made her way downstairs. The whole time she was getting him dressed and washed, all he talked about was Klaus and about how much fun he had. Then he began to talk about the snake he could have won if he had just a few more tickets.

Everyone had gone home except for Rebekah who was talking to Stefan outside the front door. She grabbed the empty dishes from the living room that had been forgotten and carried them into the kitchen.

She was surprised to see Klaus sitting at the kitchen table, his back to her. She walked around the island and placed the dishes into the sink before heading over and sitting down beside him at the table.

He didn't say anything, but was looking at his hands that were clasped on the table. "Nate said he had fun tonight," Caroline said, feeling pressured to break the silence. "In fact, he couldn't stop talking about you and how amazing you were at skee ball."

That earned her a smile, a small one, but a smile none the less. "I had fun," he replied.

"So, Nate invited you over for dinner tomorrow night."

That caught his attention, Klaus looked up at her. "Dinner?"

"We have family dinners every Friday night where Nate and I cook for Stefan and Rebekah, you're welcome to come."

He gave a brief smile, "I would love that."

"Great, next Sunday at three o'clock, don't be late!" She exclaimed, smiling.

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Did you like the klaus/Nate bonding? Excited for next chapter?**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are really looking forward to the next one! Should be a little fun. I'm open to any ideas you may have or anything you want to see in the future. **

**You can follow me on tumblr at bright465. tumblr .com I post when I update or sometimes let out little spoilers or just ask for your help. And thank you to the few of you that did give me suggestions, I'm doing my best to incorporate them into the story. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you all for the amazing support, I love hearing your thoughts on each chapter! And a huge thanks to my beta, angelwings202, who's amazing as always. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, I think it's my favourite so far.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Sunday's were always busy in the Salvatore/Forbes household as they almost always meant family dinners, and this week was no different with the exception that Nate had invited Klaus. Caroline couldn't refuse when he had given her the puppy dog eyes, in hope that she'd be ok with having a guest, after all he was soon going to be family, with Rebekah marrying Stefan.

Caroline was running all around the house, like the weekend before, as she prepared for Sunday dinner with the family. This Sunday would be different, she had invited Klaus. Of course, it was Nate who sent the invite and Caroline agreed.

These family dinners were always important to everyone, being that it would be the one day of the week where everyone got together for dinner and spent time with each other. It was time to catch up with one another for everyone led busy lives something which Caroline in particular cherished.

It had been in practice for years, an idea passed down from the Salvatore family and their Italian heritage. Sundays were family time spent at church accompanied with quality time spent together and dinner. Caroline modified it so it was just dinner where everyone participated and finished off with a movie.

Being Sunday and with a guest coming over soon, Caroline was scrambling to clean the house. It had been a disaster, as always, with Nate leaving toys everywhere. Stefan had a habit of taking off sweaters and leaving them around the house, forgetting to put them away.

The kitchen too was a disaster area; she had gone grocery shopping earlier and had yet to put the items away. Instead they sat on the counters still in bags waiting to be put in their proper place.

She rushed into the play room to clean up, Nate occupied with his toy trains. "Nate, can you start cleaning up in here, Klaus is going to be here soon."

"He's here?' Nate asked, rushing to his feet

Caroline laughed, "no, not yet. Can you clean up in here, please?"

"Okay," he frowned before moving around the room to put his toys away. Caroline watched for a moment before returning to the kitchen to set to work on putting away the groceries.

She wasn't at it for long when Stefan and Rebekah waltzed in. Stefan helped her with groceries while Rebekah watched on, sitting at the island flipping through a magazine.

"I'm thinking we should have chicken quesadillas tonight for dinner, we haven't had them forever. We should have all the ingredients, if not I could quickly run to the store or you could. What if Klaus doesn't like them, we should have something else but I don't know-"

"Caroline!" Stefan snapped, interrupting Caroline who was aimlessly talking to herself as she stuffed the cupboards. She stopped what she was doing and slowly turned around to face Stefan and Rebekah. "We're not going to be staying for dinner with you guys."

"But we always have dinner with me and Nate on Sundays."

"I know but Bekah and I made plans, I'm sorry we can't stay."

"Oh, okay," She replied, turning to finish putting the groceries away, suddenly feeling nervous that it would only be her, Klaus and Nate.

Stefan reached forward, and turned her around to face him. "Everything will be fine," he smiled.

Caroline took a deep breath and managed a smile of her own. "Okay."

"See you tonight," Stefan leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

Rebekah stood up behind him, waiting to go. Stefan let go of Caroline, sending a wink her way before turning to walk with Rebekah out the door. "He likes chicken quesadillas," she shot over her shoulder.

"Thanks," Caroline replied, sighing in relief. She heard the front door shut and the sound of Nate running into the kitchen.

"Is he here yet?" He asked excitedly.

Caroline chuckled, "not yet, buddy. Why don't you help me with the groceries while we wait?"

Nate nodded, allowing Caroline to pick him up and place him on the counter. He handed her items while she put them in their proper place. Once their task was completed, Caroline took Nate upstairs to get cleaned up before their guest arrived.

She concentrated on the task at hand and not that in mere minutes Klaus would be showing up. This would be the first time since their date a few weeks back since she had really spoken to him and they wouldn't be alone, Nate would be joining them.

Stefan had told her about the week before at the guys' night about how well Nate and Klaus got along. She almost found it comical, hearing stories of Klaus following Nate around most of the night.

A loud knock on the front door travelled up the stairs and into Nate's room. "Shit," she whispered to herself. Nate had just finished getting dressed but Caroline still needed to get ready.

"I bet that's Klaus!" Nate exclaimed as he turned to run out of his room to answer the door.

Caroline sighed as she followed behind. Nate was already opening the door by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Klaus!"

"Hello," he said walking into the house, smiling down at Nate. "These are for you, love," handing her a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you," Caroline took them, not paying too much attention to the flowers but the man that brought them. He was wearing a dark v-neck coupled with a blue jeans. He smiled at her before turning his attention downwards to Nate who was tugging on his hand.

"Come on, Klaus, I have to show you something."

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything," Caroline said before heading into the kitchen to put the flowers away.

She grabbed a vase from the cupboard and filled it up with water before removing the plastic covering the flowers and placing them inside. They were beautiful and elegant, white rose placed with light purple lilies.

After placing them on the kitchen table, ready for dinner, Caroline made her way back upstairs. Laughter was flowing out of Nate's room, from both him and Klaus. She peaked her head inside to see them both huddled together over Percy's tank, Nate no doubt telling him all about the snake.

Caroline let them be deciding that a few minutes of them alone wouldn't hurt for her to get changed. She decided on a white fitted blouse and a pair of jean shorts. Throwing her hair up in a loose pony tail and applying her makeup lightly, Caroline took to heading downstairs to prepare on dinner.

* * *

Klaus was nervous as he headed over to Caroline's' for Sunday dinner. He was jittery and anxious, not knowing what was in store for him. He smiled remembering when she asked him, saying that it was Nate who wanted him to join them. It seemed all his efforts at winning over the boy worked, somehow.

Rebekah had given him advice before hand, telling him to pick up flowers. Lilies were her favourite, so he picked a bouquet that had light purple ones accompanied with white roses.

When he knocked on the door, he expected to see Caroline, yet was greeted by Nate. He was taken back to a month ago when he first met Nate and had the door slammed in his face.

"Klaus!" Nate yelled, a big smile on his lips.

"Hello," he smiled, walking past him into the house to see Caroline standing at the bottom of the stairs. She looked breathtaking, a little flushed if anything, but natural none the less. "These are for you, love."

Before he could say anything more, Klaus was being dragged up the stairs by Nate. "I have to show you something!" He explained, pulling him into his room.

In the corner of the room sat a large tank with bright lights, a small snake inside. Klaus kneeled down in front of it, Nate standing beside him. "Are you still scared of snakes?" Nate questioned, watching his snake, Percy through the glass.

"Not really, no."

"Good, I have something to show you." He fiddled around with something on the other side of the tank. In his hand was a dead mouse and Nate was holding it by its tail. "He's supposed to eat one small mouse once a week. We keep them in the freezer downstairs and usually Uncle Stefan helps me feed him but he's not here today."

"I see, so what do you do?"

"You just have to place the mouse inside and then Percy eats it. It's really cool to see, watch." Nate explained as he stood up on the stool in front of the tank, opening the lid and carefully placing the mouse inside.

He stepped back down beside Klaus and watched as the snake slithered over to where the dead mouse was and opened its jaw taking the mouse in with one bite.

"Woah!" Nate yelled, his laughter filling the room. Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at the boy and how excited he got, his blue eyes alight with joy. "That was awesome!"

"Yeah, amazing," Klaus smiled.

"I want a dog, do you think you could help convince my mom?"

"That's your battle, afraid I can't interfere with that," he smirked. Klaus caught Caroline pass by the doorway out of the corner of his eye and saw her returning back downstairs, most likely going to prepare dinner.

"Come play with me, Klaus," Nate said, getting up and pulling him again out of the room. He followed the boy down the stairs, past the kitchen and into a playroom.

It was a small, bright room filled to the brim with an assortment of colourful toys of all sorts. A wooden train track that looked as though it had been abandoned at a moment's notice with the train on its side and the track incomplete sat in the middle of the room.

Nate dove down on the ground, eager to finish his work. Klaus kneeled down beside him, unsure of what to do, when Nate handed him a piece of track. He placed it down, attaching it to another piece already installed, happy with his placement, Klaus grabbed another.

Klaus worked in silence, listening attentively as Nate rambled on excitedly about trains and all what he knew about them. He explained why Thomas the Train was his favourite show and had many replicas of the show. Thomas was his favourite and had five toy trains of him, all in his room on a shelf.

Klaus listened and watched as he played one ear on Nate and the other on Caroline who was working in the kitchen. He felt guilty, wanting to help her with dinner but Nate wanted his attention and so he stayed with the boy.

A loud ringing erupted throughout the house, the fire alarm. A thick, burning smell wafting into the room. "Shit" Caroline yelled, being heard from the other room.

Klaus sprang to his feet, grabbing onto Nate and ran into the kitchen to see Caroline waving a towel at the open oven which was emitting smoke. He let go of Nate, stepping forward to help Caroline out by opening up windows around the kitchen. Burnt chicken sat on top of the stove, the smoke slowly filtering out of the room, allowing the alarm to rest.

Caroline flopped onto one of the stools, her hand holding up her head. Nate peered over the stove, trying to get a look at their dinner. "I don't think we can eat this," he commented.

Klaus chuckled while Caroline rolled her eyes. "I know, honey." She turned her attention to Klaus who was standing in the middle of the kitchen awkwardly. "This is why I didn't want Stefan to leave, he's the cook of the house, and I just burn things."

"I think I have a solution," Klaus smirked, reaching into his pocket and drawing his phone out.

* * *

"I'm a genius," Rebekah stated triumphantly. She was seated beside Stefan and across from Kol and Bonnie, the four of them on a double date.

"Why's that, sister?" Kol questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Bonnie just rolled her eyes, placing a hand over Kol's. "Klaus and Caroline are at home having dinner together and Bekah orchestrated it."

"Always the matchmaker," Kol commented. "Can you not leave anything alone?'

"Oh shut it, Kol," she snapped, glaring at her older brother.

Stefan sighed, "Can we not have one evening without any family arguments?"

Rebekah squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, trying to ease the tension. It was her idea after all to go on a double date with her brother and his girlfriend.

Though they had all grown up together Rebekah wasn't as close to Kol as she was to Klaus, but despite this she wanted the best for him, and wanted to make sure Bonnie was the best. While Rebekah and Bonnie were acquaintances, friends through Caroline and Stefan she wanted to be able to make her own opinion. Stefan had known Bonnie for a majority of his life since they grew up together and they seemed to be good friends. It also seemed as though he and Kol were getting along well despite only having just met.

The four were seated at a small restaurant, a place frequented by Rebekah and Stefan regularly. It was by no means fancy with tables closely placed together to fit in the small space. The menu was an array of various items to cater for everyone.

An awkward silence had settled over the table as the foursome ate their meal. Nothing more had been said on Caroline and Klaus, deciding that would be dangerous territory.

Bonnie broke the silence first, "so how is the wedding planning going?"

Rebekah looked up from her meal, surprised at the question but grateful for the interruption. "Great, Caroline is a big help! We have most of it planned already; we really tackled the planning with our time off. Which reminds me, would you be a bridesmaid?"

"I would love to!" Bonnie exclaimed, smiling happily.

"Excellent, and Kol, of course you'll be one of Stefan's groomsmen along with Elijah and Klaus."

"Doesn't your lovely groom get a say in who his own groomsmen will be?" Kol asked.

Stefan chuckled, "nope. I'm fine with it, whatever Bekah wants she'll get." He winked Rebekah, squeezing her leg under the table.

Kol coughed, "whipped."

"Kol!"

"Bekah, it's fine," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Enough with the PDA at the dinner table restrain yourselves please, for the love of God!"

"Kol!" Bonnie and Rebekah yelled at the same time.

He just rolled his eyes at the two women in his life, "kissing at the dinner table is impolite."

"Kissing, like this?" Bonnie questioned before leaning closer to Kol who was beside her, turning his face and captured his lips with hers. She smirked pulling back to see Kol eyes wide and in shock.

"Bonnie, people are staring!" He whined, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Rebekah and Stefan laughed, happy that Bonnie put him in his place. "You're good for him," Rebekah commented, nodding towards Kol who was ignoring the others as he finished up his steak dinner.

Bonnie smiled, "thanks. So how do you think Caroline is doing making dinner on her own?"

"I'm hoping she hasn't burned the house down," Stefan responded, laughing slightly.

Everyone knew that although Caroline liked to cook and bake she wasn't very good at it. There had been a few occasions where she had burnt dinner or set something on fire by accident. That was why Stefan had resorted to cooking meals for her and Nate, wanting to prevent any food poisoning.

"We'll find out when we get home," Rebekah agreed, laughing.

Kol finished his dinner before everyone else was ready to talk to the rest of his company again, "so tell me how you met my dear sister, Stefan."

Stefan put down his fork, knowing he wasn't going to get a chance to continue with his dinner unless he appeased and answered Kol. "I was buying a gift for Caroline for her birthday and I got lost in the department store, and that's when I met Rebekah."

"I found him wandering around looking at woman's shoes, we talked for a bit and I found out what he was really looking for and set him straight. We found Caroline the perfect present," she added.

"I also asked for her number and the rest is history," he smiled over at her.

"Awe!" Bonnie cooed, she knew the story, being around when they started dating, but always enjoyed that story.

"What a suitable way to find your mate, Bekah," Kol smirked.

She narrowed her eyes, "tell us how you met Bonnie."

"Easy, we met at a club, she found me so irresistible that I had to take her home."

"In typical Kol fashion," Rebekah sneered.

"Hey! It worked out, I found Bonnie," he said, reaching over and hugging her into his side.

"Good save," she kissed his cheek before pulling away from his grip.

Rebekah just rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her meal. The rest of dinner was finished in relative silence, the odd topic of conversation being brought up. Everyone ordered desert, not ready to go home yet.

When all was finished, they congregated outside the small downtown restaurant, preparing to say goodbye. Bonnie stepped forward, hugging Stefan and then Rebekah. Kol did the same, whispering a few remarks to his sister, causing her to smack him.

"Don't forget, I'm planning Nate's birthday party so keep the weekend of the tenth open," Rebekah ordered. "I'll send invitations in the mail this week with all the details."

"Alright!" Bonnie smiled.

"I have the perfect present in mind," Kol smirked, earning him glares from both women.

"See you guy's soon," Bonnie waved, heading back to her apartment, pulling Kol along with her.

Rebekah and Stefan waved in return, she stepped in front of him smiling, "you should come back to my place."

His eyebrows raised, "I should, shouldn't I?"

"Yes," she smirked, stepping up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"Lead the way," he said when he pulled back. Holding hands, the two made their way back to Rebekah's apartment.

* * *

"I'm so full," Caroline moaned, shoving her plate with a half-eaten piece of pizza away from her.

They had resorted to ordering pizza, the chicken was unsalvageable and Caroline had lost all motivation for cooking after the little mishap. Caroline, Klaus and Nate were curled up on the couch, watching Finding Nemo which was a rarity in their house. Klaus opted for a beer while Caroline had wine.

The casual feel calmed her nerves. It helped that Nate occupied Klaus' attention, constantly asking him questions or telling him about himself. She applauded Klaus, he was patient with Nate, letting him guide the conversation and not once did he interrupt him. He let him talk about whatever he pleased and asked appropriate questions.

The two had a bond, so it seemed. It surprised Caroline at how well Nate took to Klaus once assured that he wasn't a threat. The two bonded on another level, one that Caroline didn't quite understand how or why.

"I'm sure your cooking would have been phenomenal but that was exactly what I needed," Klaus said, nodding towards the box of pizza that sat on the ottoman in front of them.

Nate was hunched over sitting between the two, still chewing on his piece of crust, quiet for the first time all night. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, "I agree with Klaus."

"Of course you do," she laughed, running her fingers through his hair. "Why do I get the feeling this was all Rebekah's idea? Her and Stefan not being here for dinner when they never miss Sunday night dinners."

"Knowing my sister, you're probably right," Klaus agreed.

"Figures," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not complaining," he laughed.

"Me neither," Nate added, even though he probably didn't know what they were talking about as his attention was trained on the television.

"I think you have a new best friend," Caroline whispered, looking over her son's head to see Klaus.

He looked down at the little boy between them, and she studied him as he studied Nate. A small smile played at his lips and his eyes alight with something she could only identify as happiness, her heart warmed at the sight. "I think you're right."

They locked gazes, blue eyes piercing blue eyes. Her stomach flipped and felt unsettled as feelings began to stir within. She felt heat rise up to her cheeks and immediately pulled away, blushing slightly.

"The movie's over," Nate pouted, pulling their attention towards him. She glanced up at the television and sure enough the end credits were rolling.

"Well what do you want to watch next?" She asked, getting up to remove the DVD from the player.

The television was situated in a black TV unit, which held their extensive movie collection. A majority were catered to Nate and his age group with Disney movies or other various cartoons. While the other half were Stefans' and Carolines' being chick flicks or action movies.

"Spiderman?" Nate questioned, looking up at Klaus, seeking approval.

"Sounds good to me," he nodded.

Caroline found the movie, assuming he wanted the first one of the trilogy and plopped it in the player. She made her way back to the couch but before she sat down she decided to clean up the mess they had made from dinner.

At the same time, Klaus reached forward to help and knocked over her wine glass which rested on the large ottoman. The spilled contents landed on his pants, Caroline saw it all happen in slow motion. She gasped when she saw what happened, seeing the wine land on his jeans.

Caroline reached forward, with a napkin in hand, to clean up the mess on his jeans. She began wiping and only then realized her hand was in a suggestive place and blushed. Klaus' hand encased hers, taking the napkin out of her hand to clean it up himself.

"Sorry," she blushed, quickly picking up the mess and running into the kitchen. After dumping the contents on the counter, she rubbed her hands over her face in embarrassment.

The only thing worse would be if Klaus walked into the kitchen, which he did. "That was completely my fault," he said, his sudden presence startling her and causing her to jump.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, love."

"Its fine," she replied, turning back around to finish her task of putting everything away.

Caroline felt his presence draw near and soon he was right behind her, she braced herself against the counter, her heart quickening in anticipation. Klaus reached around her, his arm brushing hers and she looked down to see him placing her wine glass in the sink.

She turned slightly to look up at him. "You forgot that in the other room," he said quietly.

It was only then did she notice how close they truly were as she stared up into his eyes, she could see every line and crevice in his flawless face. Caroline took a step to the side, allowing distance between them, breaking the hold he had over her.

Klaus shook his head, like he himself was lost; "I'm just going to go clean this up," motioning to his pants, "I'll be back."

Caroline nodded, watching him retreat out of the kitchen. Once he was out of sight she allowed herself to breathe. He had been too close for comfort, something with unnerved her. Her hand reached up to where their skin met merely seconds ago and she still felt the area tingling.

She broke from her daze when Nate yelled out to her. She quickly brushed herself off, returning to the task at hand and cleaned up. Caroline was back on the couch moments later, beside Nate who was watching the movie contently.

"Everyone loves Spiderman but I think Iron man is my favourite," Nate admitted, turning towards Klaus.

"Really, why's that?"

"He has a suit of armour and can fly, what's not to love?"

Klaus chuckled, "I suppose your right. Although, I was always a fan of batman."

Nate groaned, scrunching up his nose. "I hate batman!"

"How could you hate batman?" Klaus questioned in mock horror. "He's just like Iron man but better because he has less technology."

"He can't fly," Nate state simply.

"But he has a bat-mobile, Alfred, and a mansion, what's not to love about all that?"

"And he's not an avenger."

"Well neither is Spiderman," he huffed.

"But Spiderman can fly," Nate smirked.

"I give up," Klaus sighed.

"Good, now maybe we can watch the movie in peace and quiet," Caroline

"Who's your favourite, mommy?"

"Oh no, we're not getting into this tonight. Just watch the movie," she said but both turned and looked expectedly at her. "Fine, black widow!"

"I knew it," Nate stated happily turning his attention back to the movie.

The threesome watched the movie in relative silence, Nate fighting to stay awake but dozed off close to the end. Caroline could feel Klaus glancing her way on occasion but refuses to meet his gaze.

When the end credits rolled, Caroline picked up Nate, waking him up in the process. He blinked a few times, getting his bearing and trying to figure where he was.

He saw Klaus over his mothers' shoulder and wiggled to get down, "I want to stay up with you guys, I'm not tired."

"Nate," Caroline warned as she held him tighter.

"I don't want to go to be!"

"It's bed time, Nathanial," Caroline tried but to no avail, he wiggled out of her grasp, sliding down her legs and jumping onto the couch. She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'm not tired," he whined, "please, let me stay up a little later."

It was already past his bed time, she couldn't let him stay up any later, as much as both she and he wanted. "Nate, please," she begged, wanting him to just behave and not make a scene in front of a guest.

Nate turned to look up at Klaus, "I want to stay up and play with you more."

"I'll come back another day, and we can play all you want. But I think right now your mother wants to put you to bed, mate."

"You promise, you'll come back?" Nate questioned softly, innocence and insecurity thick in his voice.

"I promise."

Nate gave him a small smile, "good night, Klaus." He stood up on the couch, wrapping his little arms around Klaus' neck, leaning into him.

"Good night, Nate." Klaus wrapped his arms around the boy, giving him a gentle squeeze before letting go.

He hopped off the couch and ran past Caroline and up the stairs to his room. "I'll be right back," Caroline said, before following after him.

* * *

Klaus felt bad for the boy, wanting to stay up later with the adults but forced to go to bed. As a child, he often held the same experiences, and understood where Nate was coming from.

The night had been enjoyable; he loved spending time with Nate and Caroline. It was easy being with them both and Nate seemed to enjoy his company, even though he led the conversations.

He watched Nate trample up the stairs and Caroline follow after him. Noises and protests were heard overhead as Caroline tried putting him to bed. She returned ten minutes later, looking slightly exhausted.

"Everything alright?" Klaus asked, his voice laced with concern.

She offered him a small smile, "yeah, as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out like a light."

"Good."

"You shouldn't have promised Nate that you'll come back to play with him," Caroline said, suddenly serious.

"I take my promises very seriously, love, and intend to fulfil it," he replied, "but something tells me that you don't believe me."

She shrugged, "I grew up with many men walking in and out of my life, and I don't want that for Nate."

"Caroline-"

"My mother never cared about me, she always had one man after the other, inviting them into our lives and he would leave when he grew tired of having a kid around. She promised many times that it would just be us to, do you know how many times she kept her promises?"

"I-"

"None... Not once did she ever keep a promise. Not many people do, but I will keep mine and protect my son. I know you're a good person, but you can't lie to him, don't make promises you can't keep."

"Caroline!" Klaus shouted, grabbing onto her shoulders to stop her from rambling. He lowered his head, looking directly into her eyes. "I fully intend on keeping my promise to that little boy."

"You-"

"Caroline," he warned, "I'm not finished." Caroline shut her mouth, waiting for what he had to say next causing Klaus to smile. "I understand where you're coming from, I truly do, but you have to trust me when I say I would never do anything to hurt you or Nathanial."

"Klaus," she whispered, closing her eyes. When she opened them again she was met with deep blue eyes, "I want to believe you."

"Look, Caroline, I'm all in. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I'll be there."

"But-"

"All I'm asking for is a chance, love," he said, eyebrows raised, questioning if she would accept what he has to offer.

"Fine, but you let Nate down I'll come after you with a knife."

Klaus chuckled, holding up his hands, "I would never dream of it."

"Good," she smiled.

"I better get going it's getting late," Klaus said, standing up from the couch. Caroline got up, following him to the front door. "Thank you for an amazing night, I'll be seeing you and Nate soon."

Before Caroline could even say anything, Klaus leaned forward, placing a kiss on her cheek. He pulled back, giving her a smile and let himself out, leaving Caroline standing in the doorway gaping after him.

"Bye," she managed to say before he was too far away. Klaus turned, giving her a small wave.

Her hand flew up to her cheek, her fingers running over the spot that he just kissed. She wanted to believe the sensation she felt was all in her imagination, and that she wasn't beginning to have feelings for Klaus.

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Did you like the Klaroline? **

**Next chapter will include Daroline and Damon history, just a heads up. I have wanted to do this chapter from the beginning, it's important to the story. I know some have been asking for it, and I intend to deliver. It will just be flashbacks, nothing to with interfere with Klaroline. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I worked extremely hard to get this out sooner rather than later because I am on vacation. Thank you everyone who has reviewed, fallowed or favourited. A special thanks to my beta, angela who's really supportive and gives amazing ideas.**

**Warning this chapter is a little long (the longest yet) and is somewhat Damon focused. Also the only medical knowledge I have is from nine seasons of grey's anatomy, so don't take the medical parts too seriously because they may not be accurate. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

_One of Caroline's first memories was of her and Stefan playing outside. It was always at his house, always making up games to play outside. One day in particular stuck out from the others, it was the first day she saw Damon, his older brother, in another light. _

_Caroline had spent the whole day playing multiple games such as tag and hide and seek outside with Stefan in his expansive backyard. Stefan at one point however got a little bit too excited and got himself into a nasty fall, tripping over his feet, scraping his knees on the patio cement._

_She of course being the responsible one insisted on accompanied him inside, guiding him into the kitchen where his mother was no doubt baking. Mrs. Salvatore was her favourite person, always taking good care of her when she was around. _

_Being five years old, Caroline didn't understand why her mother was never around. Or where her father was, or why there were always people coming in and out of her life. But she had one thing, and that was the Salvatore family. _

_They comprised of Mister and Missus Salvatore, Damon and Stefan. Mrs. Salvatore was another mother to her with Stefan as a brother. She never saw much of his father, always busy working. Damon was a pest who would always bug them, so she would always try and stay away from him. He was Stefan's older brother, only a year older than Stefan, but decided that because he was the eldest he got the privilege of bossing the two around, never letting them forget who's older._

_Caroline stood by Stefan, holding his hand, as his mother treated the wound. Not two seconds later, Damon came running into the room. _

_"What happened to you?" He asked Stefan._

_"Nothing, just a little fall," his mother replied, sending Damon a look as to not antagonize his brother. _

_"Caroline, do you want to go outside and play?" Damon questioned._

_She looked at Stefan who was still getting bandaged up and knew he wouldn't be able to play anytime soon. She really didn't want to but at that moment, Damon didn't look too harmful and Stefan probably couldn't play. She still had energy left, so she shrugged, "okay."_

_Damon grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him back out into the backyard. As soon as they stepped outside and Damon let go of her, she shot her hand out, touching him. "Tag, you're it!" _

_Caroline ran as fast as she could, running past the boundaries of the Salvatore property and into the forest. She and Stefan would occasionally run down to the lake at the bottom of the small hill. _

_ She made it there without being caught, though Damon was close behind. Caroline stopped when she reached the water's edge, allowing Damon to catch up to her. _

_It was a small pond, filled with sea weed and fish. Caroline never dared to go swimming but Stefan had on occasion. Damon stopped behind her, "we're not allowed to be down here."_

_"I know, but look!" She waved her hands around, getting his attention to look at their surroundings. _

_The sun filtered through the trees that encased the lake, with long grass and flowers. Vibrant yellows, purple and blue stood out against the green grass. It was a sight to see, something truly beautiful._

_Damon grabbed her hand, looking down smiling at her. "It's beautiful." _

_Caroline smiled up at him, watching as he took in the view. He was quiet, calculating, studying every inch of nature. In that moment, he wasn't the annoying older brother, but a friend. _

* * *

Caroline awoke from a deep sleep; she was dreaming about Damon and the lake behind their property they liked to visit through the years. She rolled over to go back to sleep but heard noises coming from the main bathroom. It was early morning, light barely slipping through the blinds, the sun just beginning to make its assent into the sky.

She took a few minutes to assess the situation, figuring it was most likely Stefan. She heard the distinct sounds of metal clinking against metal, like a tool being thrown into a tool box.

Caroline ran her hand down her face, deciding on what she needed to do. She threw the covers off her, slowly getting out of bed and throwing on a robe and tying it tight around her body.

She made her way into the hallway, the door to the bathroom open letting the florescent light flood into the hall. Caroline pushed forward, entering the main bathroom to see Stefan standing in the shower, wrench in hand.

He muttered a few curse words under his breath, trying to stop the flow of water that was spraying out of the shower nozzle. "Stefan, what are you doing?" He turned to look at her and then returned to the task at hand. "You're supposed to turn the water off first."

"I forgot," he shrugged.

"The shower doesn't need fixing, it's six a.m."

"Caroline," Stefan growled, still trying to cease the flow of water.

Caroline turned on her heel, marching downstairs to turn off the water. When she returned, Stefan was still prying at the nozzle, trying to fix what wasn't broke, inevitably breaking it himself.

"I don't understand what happened," he growled in frustration, hitting the tile wall with his palm.

She stepped forward, into the shower, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Reaching down, Caroline slid the wrench out of his hand and dropped it into the toolbox nearby.

"Stefan."

His head fell onto his hands, leaning against the wall. His pajamas were soaked and he began to shiver from the coldness of air drifting through the room from the vents.

Caroline grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the shower. "I'll call a plumber in the morning to fix the shower."

Stefan nodded, and allowed her to lead him back into his room. She sat him down on his bed, Caroline sitting beside him, and laced her fingers through his. "What's going on Stefan?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Damon?"

He nodded, "you know it's been five years right?"

"I know," she responded, solemnly. "What's wrong?"

"I dreamt about the time we were teenagers and went to the cabin without our parent's permission. It was right before their death and they came and picked us up but ended up staying the night. It was the first time in a long time we felt like a family. Now they're all dead."

Caroline turned, facing Stefan. "You still have a family; me, Nate, and Rebekah."

"But, it's not the same."

"You're starting your own family, you're going to have a beautiful wife and maybe even kids someday."

"I know."

"How about we go visit him in the morning? We haven't been in a while, and we'll take Nate." She suggested.

Stefan managed a smile, "okay."

"Change your clothes and try and get some sleep, brother."

He nodded, "thanks, Care."

Caroline threw her arms around his neck, bringing him in for a hug. She pulled back and kissed his cheek before leaving his room and made her way back to her own.

As she laid down in bed, thoughts of Damon ran through her head. It was the fifth anniversary of his death. Five years Stefan went without a brother and five years Nate has been without a father.

It got easier as time went on; she adjusted to being a single mother. However, on the day of his death, not only Stefan but Caroline had a hard time. She would reminisce in old memories or simply wonder what life would have been like if he lived.

Caroline felt herself begin to drift back to sleep, memories of Damon flying around. Their first 'unofficial' date being at the forefront of her memories.

* * *

_As Caroline grew older, Stefan and Damon were always there for her, never leaving her side. Stefan had always felt like a brother, but Damon? He felt like so much more._

_Their first date wasn't even a date, so to say. Caroline was with Stefan at The Grill, the only place to eat in their little hometown of Mystic Falls. They frequented their everyday after school, to either play pool, get dinner or to just hang out. _

_One particular afternoon was different than the others, they had company. Bonnie, Elena and Damon had joined them. At the time, Elena was happily dating Stefan. _

_Damon, Caroline and Bonnie on one side with Stefan and Elena on the other. The group of five talked about school, gossiped and enjoyed their dinner._

_Things between her and Damon had been heating up, lingering stares and careful touches. She wasn't sure but she thought Damon was beginning to feel something for her and if Caroline was completely honest with herself, she had feelings for him too. _

_Stefan left early, Bonnie following close behind. Caroline not wanting to return home, stayed to talk longer with Elena, Damon offering to drive her home. _

_The minute that Stefan left, Elena was all over Damon. "So, Damon, you think the football team is going to make it to State this year?" She questioned, leaning over the table. _

_Caroline scoffed at the ridiculous question, "The team probably won't even win a game this year."_

_Damon laughed, "blondie's right, have you seen our team?"_

_Everyone knew the answer to that question. Elena Gilbert had not once in her life watched a football game. Elena just shrugged, "you never know."_

_An awkward silence settled over the table, Elena keeping her eyes on Damon while he tried to look anywhere but at her. Caroline sighed, realizing she had to get home. "I should probably get going," she said, sliding out of the booth and dropping a twenty onto the table._

_Caroline was halfway out the door, when she was stopped by someone pulling on her arm. She turned around quickly, finding Damon. "Let me walk you home."_

_She looked over her shoulder to where Elena was sitting looking royally pissed off, arms folded across her chest. Turning her attention back to Damon, she smiled. "Sure." _

_He held out his hand, "lead the way." _

_Caroline began to walk through the streets of Mystic Falls but instead of heading to her house, she began making her way to her favourite place. Damon silently followed her lead, not questioning where she was going._

_"You know she was flirting with you right?" She asked, breaking the silence between them. _

_Damon stuffed his hands in his pocket, shrugging. "I know, but she's with Stefan."_

_Caroline snorted, "like that's stopping her." She told herself that she wasn't jealous and that she was trying to be a good friend to Stefan. Yet, deep down, Caroline was the slightest bit jealous._

_"I don't have feelings for Elena, I would never do that to my brother, and you should know that," he replied seriously, trying to get his point across. Caroline nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Besides I have feelings for another girl who is just as beautiful."_

_"Oh," she squeaked, feeling her throat close up. Caroline did not feel her heart drop, just like she wasn't disappointed or jealous. She grew up with Damon, knew him better than anyone, how could she have feelings for him?_

_They made their way to their final destination, Damon smirking at her, "if you wanted to come over, all you had to do was ask."_

_Caroline rolled her eyes, walking around the side of the house to the backyard. They hadn't spent time at the pond in ages but it was exactly how she remembered it. As they grew older, they added a small dock, a rope swing, and wooden chairs. A majority of their summers were spent at the swimming hole._

_"I haven't been here in years," Damon remarked, sitting down on the dock beside her. _

_"I know, I miss it here." _

_Caroline was completely_ _mesmerized by her surroundings as she watched a frog jump into the water, tress swaying to the warm spring breeze. The two of them sat there together in a peaceful silence, soaking in the sun._

_ "I don't want to go home," she admitted, well aware that her mother was most likely at work and wasn't in the mood to be home alone. _

_"Then stay," Damon said, putting his hand over top of hers. _

_She looked up at him, seeing his blue eyes sparkle in the light. His dark hair fell over his forehead and his lips curved into a smirk. "Thank you."_

_"Anytime, blondie," he replied, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. _

_She didn't know how long they sat like that, neither one saying a word but feeling comfortable enough to sit in silence. The sun began to set and Caroline knew she had to head home, her mother would be finished working soon and she didn't like coming home to an empty house. _

_"I better get home," she whispered, not wanting to end the afternoon. _

_She felt Damon nod and drop his arm from around her. He stood up, offering his hand, which she took and stood up. Damon didn't drop it, but rather held onto it and leading her back up the hill and out of the forest to the backyard._

_Caroline tried walking away but Damon pulled her back towards him. "I need to ask you something before you go."_

_She cleared her throat, nervous of his impending question. "Sure."_

_"Would you like to go on a date with me?" _

_Caroline didn't know what to say, her mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out. She blinked repeatedly, "say that again?"_

_Damon just chuckled, "Would you like to go on a date with me?"_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Caroline," he groaned._

_She smiled, "I would love to."_

_"Great, how about next Friday? I'll pick you up at seven." _

_"Okay!" She exclaimed, unable to stop smiling or hide her excitement._

_Damon winked at her, smiling himself, as he headed back into his house. _

_Caroline practically skipped home, her excitement bubbling. There she was, little miss Caroline Forbes, fourteen years old, being asked out by Damon Salvatore. _

* * *

Caroline awoke the second time that morning to loud noises, this time coming from within her room. She slowly opened her eyes, fighting herself to wake up. Nate was at the end of her bed, playing with two cars, rolling them over the covers.

"Nathanial," she groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight.

"Morning, mama," he said, jumping up on top of her to give her a kiss.

"Good morning," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his body. "Where's Uncle Stefan?"

"I don't know."

"Alright, well how about we go make some breakfast?"

Nate jumped off the bed, taking his cars with him and yelling down the stairs. Caroline grumbled, rolling over in her warm bed, not wanting to get up just yet.

After hearing Nate holler through the whole house, she finally dragged herself out of bed and slowly made her way downstairs to her awaiting son.

Caroline was not a morning person and her son was definitely one, running around the kitchen with endless amount of energy as he rolled his cars across every surface. She moaned as she ran her fingers through her hair, the day had barely begun and already she wanted it over.

She turned the coffee on, needing a cup as soon as possible. Nate settled down at the breakfast bar, happily playing with his cars. "What's for breakfast?"

"I don't know, Nate."

"When's Uncle Stefan coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Can we go to the park today?"

Caroline turned around to look at her son, oblivious to everything that was going on around him. Unaware of what today really meant to the rest of them.

"Sure, honey," she smiled, pouring a glass of milk for him and a cup of coffee for her. Caroline was in no mood for making breakfast and hoped Stefan came home soon with something edible.

Not a second after that thought, the front door opened, "I came bearing breakfast," Stefan yelled.

"Yes!" Nate cheered, jumping off the stool to grab breakfast from Stefan. The pair returned with bags of delicious smelling food in their hands.

Caroline got to work, setting the table with plates, utensils and condiments. Nate climbed into his chair between Stefan and Caroline, while she distributed the food evenly. Everyone dug in, enjoying waffles and sausages from their favourite breakfast place down the street.

Caroline finished first; she was more tired than hungry. She gently placed her fork on her plate that was still half full of food. "Nate," she said, grabbing his attention. "Before we go to the park today, your Uncle Stefan and I would like to take you with us to the cemetery."

He looked up at her, confusion written all over his face. "Why?"

"Because there's someone we would like to visit," Stefan replied, speaking up.

"Is it my dad?"

Stefan and Caroline looked at each other, both with very shocked expressions. "Yes, we're going to visit your father," Caroline finally managed.

Nate shrugged his shoulders, "Okay," and continued on eating.

"That was easy," Caroline murmured to herself.

She knew Nate didn't exactly know what a cemetery was or what was held there nor the importance of it. He did, however, know that his father had died and that he would grow up without one. He had asked on several occasions where his father and what happened to him.

Caroline told him the truth, she wasn't going to lie to her child. She told him that daddy was up in heaven watching over him, that he wouldn't be around to watch him grow up. Nate had been young then but understood for the most part.

Breakfast went by quickly, the boys finishing up their meals. Caroline took to cleaning up the kitchen, letting Stefan get Nate ready for the day. They had decided to go to the cemetery in the morning and then the park before coming home so Nate could have his mid-afternoon nap.

"Come on, Nate, let's go get you cleaned up," Stefan suggested, getting up from the table. As always, Nate leaped into the air, flying out of the room and up the stairs, not a single care in the world.

"How does he always have so much energy?" Caroline pondered, picking the dirty dishes from the table and walking over to the sink for them to be washed.

"Probably because he wasn't up at five a.m. trying to fix the shower," Stefan chuckled, trying to make light of their earlier situation.

"Stefan-"

He held up his hand, interrupting her. "I was just trying to take my mind of things."

"Then go for a run, exercise, or watch a movie. Don't break my shower."

"I tried all that," he replied, shaking his head. "Look, let's just get through today."

Caroline nodded, letting it drop. Today would be the day to let Stefan off the hook. She knew he would be a wreck, just like he was at this time every other year.

"I better go see what Nate is up to," he said before walking out of the kitchen, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"Uncle Stefan, why aren't you at work?" Nate asked while Stefan helped him changed into a clean shirt.

"Because I wanted to spend the day with my favourite nephew," he smirked, pulling the shirt over his head.

Nate put his hand on his hips, giving him a very Caroline look. "I'm your only nephew."

Stefan just laughed, "I guess you're right."

When Nate was finished getting dressed he sat on the bed, "why do we have to go to the cemetery?"

"We're going to visit your father, pay our respects."

"Why?"

Stefan sighed, "Because today is the anniversary of his death. Remember last year we went to the cemetery?"

"No, I was only three last year!"

"It will be painless, just going to say hello and to bring flowers. It won't be scary at all."

"Okay, Uncle Stefan."

"Why don't you go play downstairs while your mom and I get ready?"

Nate nodded, running off again downstairs. Stefan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. From the moment he woke up this morning, he knew it would be a hard day.

Granted, every day was hard living without his brother, but the anniversary of his death was much harder than any other. It brought back memories of the two of them; it was always them against the world. No one thing could come between them, yet he was wrong.

Cancer stole Damon away from not only Stefan but from Nate and Caroline. His selfless brother, too concerned with Caroline and their child that was soon to be born that he didn't notice the signs. The signs that he was slowly dying.

Stefan shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts from his head. He needed to take things one step at a time, starting with getting dressed so they could go visit his brother.

He couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Damon was supposed to be living with Caroline, raising their son together. Stefan would come visit them on weekend mornings and take Nate on trips to the zoo or the park.

Stefan had forever with Nate and Damon never got one day, never got to see or hold his son. That pained Stefan more than anything.

* * *

_It started out with a stomach ache from time to time, nothing more. It quickly developed into a sharp pain ripping through his abdomen, vomiting non-stop. Only then, once it had progressed to extreme lengths, did he go see a doctor._

_He was diagnosed with terminal Cancer. Stomach cancer to be exact. He was given a few months at the most to live; there was no treatment available, nothing that could cure him of the disease. _

_If only he had been in to see the doctor when it all began, then maybe there would be some hope of his survival. But no, Damon had to be stubborn; refusing to see any doctors, claiming it was the stomach flu. _

_Caroline nagged, stating that the flu wouldn't last for a month. He brushed it off, telling her she wasn't his mother. His careless mistake cost him his life. _

_He was forced into the hospital, his girlfriend eight months pregnant. Damon was going to die at twenty, his only hope was to live long enough to see his child, to hold him, to love him. _

_After a month of diagnosis, they had a call from a doctor, wanting to attempt a new procedure, a clinical trial that had only been done a handful of times. Hopeful that it would prolong his life for another few months, Damon took to it, desperate for additional time. Caroline and Stefan agreed, wanting the same things as him. _

_While off school for the summer, Caroline took it upon herself to visit Damon all day and every day. Stefan visited at night when he was off work. They had no other family to visit him so it was just the two of them keeping him company._

_She sat by his bed while he slept which was a majority of the time. The times he was awake, they talked about their baby. Damon wanted to know the sex but Caroline convinced him it was more fun not knowing. _

_After dating for four years, Caroline found out she was expecting. It was rather unexpected, but Damon was excited. They already lived together, moving to the city into the brownstone house he inherited from his parents. They both attended the same college, Damon for business and Caroline for journalism. _

* * *

_Damon had just finished medical tests which took all morning for surgery that he was expected to have surgery the next day. Caroline sat beside him, reading a parenting book while Damon slept. He was lucky to be in his own private room; white, empty walls surrounding them. It was daunting being in such a room, to be reminded daily of where you were._

_They hadn't said much to each other for most the day, Damon being too tired from his exciting morning causing him to sleep for most of the day. There was a soft knock on the door to the hospital room, Caroline looked up to see Stefan standing there. "He sleeping?" he whispered. _

_She nodded, waving for him to join her. She figured Damon wouldn't mind waking up to talk to his brother. Caroline leaned forward, running her hand over his hair and whispering in his ear._

_Damon slowly woke up, blinking rapidly to catch his bearing of where he was. "Hey, man," Damon said, addressing Stefan who was sitting on the end of the hospital bed. Even though Damon slept for a majority, he still looked pale with dark circles under his clear blue eyes. _

_"How you feeling?" Stefan asked, brows knitted together in concern._

_"Peachy. I feel like I could go run a marathon if it wasn't for these tubes sticking out of me, and you know, the cancer." He replied, jokingly. _

_"Damon," Caroline chided, rolling her eyes. _

_"Well it's true!"_

_"Good to hear, brother," Stefan smiled. _

_"I go in for surgery tomorrow, hopefully they can do whatever their supposed to do and remove a good portion of the tumor. Then I'll do radiation after, enough time to see this little guy," he said, rubbing Caroline's belly. _

_At that moment, she felt a hard kick against her ribs, right under where Damon's hand was placed. Her hand instinctively flew up over top of his, feeling another, hard kick. _

_"She's kicking hard!" Caroline exclaimed. _

_Damon raised an eyebrow, "how do you know it's a she? I personally think it's a boy."_

_"Same here," Stefan added in. "I would much rather a nephew than a niece."_

_"I do not want to have your son," she said to Damon. "He would be rambunctious, off the walls and no way to control him!"_

_"A true Salvatore," he smirked. "I think Nathanial is a good name for a boy. Nathanial Salvatore."_

_"I think that," she agreed. "Nathanial for a boy, Eva for a girl."_

_"Deal!" _

_"With my luck, it'll be a boy and just like you were when you were younger," she groaned, causing both men to laugh. _

_Damon's laugh, however, turned into a harsh cough. Stefan jumped from the bed when blood came sputtering out of his brothers mouth and onto the bed. _

_Caroline quickly pressed the call button, watching in horror at the sight before her. A nurse came rushing in, shoving a basin under his mouth to catch the blood. _

_Stefan walked around to Caroline, practically dragging her out of the room. "You don't want to see that," he whispered into her ear. Caroline fought against him, wanting to go back to Damon, to help him or just be there to support him. "Let's go get something to eat." _

_They returned a few hours later, everything cleaned up and Damon fast asleep. Visiting hours were close to over, so Caroline and Stefan snuck up into his room to say their goodbyes. _

_Caroline was on one side of the bed, Stefan on the other. Damon opened his eyes, feeling their presence. "Feeling better?" She asked._

_"Yup."_

_"Good," she replied, kissing his cheek. As she pulled away, Damon reached out, his hand curling around her neck and pulling her back in. His lips pressed softly to hers, in a sweet embrace. _

_"I love you," he whispered, pulling back slightly so they were nose to nose. _

_She pecked his lips once more, "I love you too."_

_"Take care of my son, for me."_

_She laughed, pulling back as she wiped at a few stray tears. Their goodbyes were always the same, her ending up in tears with him making a joke. _

_Stefan stepped forward, "I'll see you tomorrow." _

_Damon reached forward, pulling him into a hug. "I love you, little brother."_

_"Love you too," he whispered, hugging him back. _

_"Take care of her, and take care of my son for me?"_

_Stefan nodded, pulling back from Damon, his eyes watery with unshed tears. Damon smiled at them before sleep took over, allowing Caroline and Stefan to leave the hospital. _

_Stefan drove Caroline back to their house. She offered him the spare bedroom, being a weekend and the next day they would both go over to the hospital together in the morning. _

_They retreated to their rightful places, Caroline sleeping with one of Damons' old shirts that smelt like him. From the eventful day, she drifted off as soon as her head hit the pillow._

_Her sleep was interrupted by the phone ringing at three in the morning. Caroline ignored it, her sleep induced haze not allowing her to think properly. _

_Her cell phone rang next and with it being in a close range to the bed, Caroline answered it. The call brought nothing but unexpected news. She thanked the person on the other end, tears falling down her face. _

_"Stefan!" She yelled, hearing it echo through the empty house. _

_He was at her bedroom door within seconds, his face dropping when he caught sight of Caroline. Her hand at her mouth, trying to quiet the sobs. She shook her head and that was when Stefan fell to the floor in a heap, allowing himself to cry. _

_Damon was gone. She lost her lover, her best friend, her everything while Stefan lost a brother. Her baby lost a father. Damon lost his future. It was a night of unexpected loss. _

* * *

Caroline, Stefan and Nate stood in front of a grey tombstone. A bouquet of yellow flowers laying on the grass in front. The stone read three lines:

Damon Salvatore

January 5, 1987 -August 10, 2007

Loving father, brother, friend

Hundreds of tombstones surrounding them, not a single person in sight. Cemeteries always gave Caroline goose bumps, feeling she was being watched and in the company of others.

Caroline and Stefan stood beside each other, Nate in front. They watched as he cautiously stepped forward, towards the stone. He traced his fingers, first over the name then the dates and finally coming to rest on the second word of the third line, _'father'_.

She kneeled down beside him, "he loved you very much."

"But he never even knew me," he stated. "How can you love someone you never met?"

"Even though you weren't born yet, you were still in my tummy and your daddy talked to you every day. He didn't have to meet you to love you."

"Did you love me before you met me?"

Caroline laughed, "Of course I did,"

"Did you love him?" Nate questioned, still tracing the engravings of the gravestone.

"I loved him with my whole heart, almost as much as I loved you," she winked.

Nate nodded, lost in thought. He turned around, facing her. "I think I love him too."

Stefan bent down, joining the two. "I think he would have loved to hear that."

Nate smiled happily, turning around to study the stone once more. Stefan and Caroline stood back up, letting Nate take his time processing all the information he had received.

Half an hour later, of Stefan and Caroline watching Nate, they decided it was time to go. They had paid their respects and were getting antsy, though they hated ripping Nate away so soon.

"Nate, honey, you ready to go?" Caroline asked sweetly.

"Are we going to the park now?"

"Yup."

"Okay," he replied, smiling back at them.

Nate stepped closer to the grave, throwing his little arms around it. "Bye, daddy; I love you," he whispered.

Caroline stepped forward, behind Nate, kissing her fingers and placing them on the top of the gravestone. Stefan stood stoic behind them, no doubt, saying goodbye in his own way. Damon knew what he was thinking; Stefan didn't have to say anything out loud.

"Ready?" Caroline asked when Nate was done.

He nodded, already walking through the row of gravestones. Caroline took one last look, taking in her surroundings before following after him. She was right, Nate was exactly like Damon when he was younger, a true Salvatore.

* * *

Stefan and Caroline sat on a park bench watching Nate play with a dozen other kids on the jungle gym. She was content, things at the cemetery went pretty well, or as well as they could have.

Stefan hadn't said much the whole day, staying more to himself. She understood, Damon was his brother and he was still a bit off by it all. Caroline reached over, taking a hold of his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

He looked over at her, a little taken off guard, like he suddenly realized that he wasn't alone. "Thanks for being there for me today," he said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she smiled.

They sat in silence, hands locked, watching Nate. His brown hair ruffled as he ran up a set of stairs to get to the slide. He stopped mid-step, looking over to where they sat. He looked lost in thought, his eyebrows furrowed and he looked like a smaller version of Stefan.

She noticed he didn't seem in the mood to play, lost in his own little world, not noticing any child around him. Nate finished the rest of the way up the stairs and slid down the slide but instead of climbing back up, he walked towards them. He stopped in front of them, "can you tell me about him?"

Caroline was about to ask what he was talking about but realized she was talking about Damon. "Sure," she replied, sliding over so he could sit beside her and Stefan.

"What do you want to know?" Stefan asked.

"What happened to him?"

Caroline took a glance at Stefan, seeing his pained expression she decided to answer on his behalf. "He was sick, very sick. There's this disease, called cancer and some people live and survive, they are the lucky ones. But there are some, not so fortunate, who try everything and fight with all their might and don't survive. Do you understand?"

Nate nodded, "my daddy had cancer?"

"Yes and he passed away before you were born. Do you remember what happens to people when they pass away?"

"They go up to heaven?"

Caroline smiled, "yeah, and they live with God and we don't get to see them again. But we know that they are always watching over us. He will always be with us, in here," she said, pointing to the left side of her chest, where her heart sat.

"In my heart?" he asked, looking up at her and then Stefan.

He nodded, "yeah, buddy, in your heart."

Nate looked lost in thought before he asked another question, "What was he like?"

Caroline smiled, eager to answer. "Well, he was funny, always telling jokes and making anyone that he could laugh. He was very smart and kind, a lot like you actually."

"Really?" he questioned, looking up at her with wide blue eyes.

"Yup, you are just like him when he was younger." Stefan said, speaking up. "One time, when we were kids, he convinced me that dragonflies ate little children, was scared of them for years."

Caroline laughed, remembering that day clearly. She too believed it, but luckily she was smarter and realized little things like that couldn't eat a whole child. "You forgot the time he caught a mouse and put it on top of your mom while she was sleeping."

Nate burst out laughing, "That sounds like a good prank!"

"It was, until my mom came at us with a wooden spoon," Stefan laughed.

"No!" Nate exclaimed, unwilling to believe it.

"Yes, Italian mothers back then were a little violent; so be thankful your mom only yells at you when you get in trouble." Stefan warned.

Nate turned to look up at Caroline, "thank you!"

"Just don't be leaving any mice in my bed."

He shook his head, "I won't, promise!"

* * *

After a long day at work Klaus just wanted to get home and relax but it seemed that his sister had other plans. The second he walked through the door to his apartment, Rebekah pounced on him already inside.

"Nik, I need to talk to you about something," she demanded.

He slowly closed the door behind him, throwing his keys on the side table. "I gave you a key for emergencies, not to barge in here whenever you please."

Klaus was exhausted and was not in the mood for one of his sisters crazy tirades that she so often liked to go on. Grabbing a bottle of beer, he sat down on the couch, lifting his feet up on the coffee table. Rebekah joined him instantly, sitting up expectedly like she was about to tell some great story or beg him of something.

"What, Bekah?" he asked.

"How's it going? With Caroline?"

He sighed, unsure of what to actually tell her. Things with Caroline were complicated and difficult at best. He knew he had feelings for her, intense feelings that he wasn't going to give up on. There was Nate too and he was beginning to be a big part of his life.

Yet, he was unsure where he stood with Caroline. She always seemed to act indifferently towards him making him believe like he was doing something wrong.

Klaus had stepped up, visiting Nate almost every other day at the request of the little boy. They often spent their time playing with Percy, or his toy trains and cars or simply just colouring. Caroline didn't seem to mind but avoided him most of the time when he was over, especially lately.

"Things with us are…complicated," he managed to say, trying to find the right word to describe his situation.

"What does that mean?" Rebekah pushed.

"It means that I like her, a lot but she always acts so indifferent towards me and I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "well what are you doing?"

"I don't know, Rebekah!" He exclaimed frustrated. "I visit a few times a week to hang out with Nate and she just ignores me. I made it perfectly clear weeks ago that I was all in and I got nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," he confirmed.

"Strange," she mused.

Klaus was beyond angry now, it felt like his sister was pulling teeth to get information out of him and she wasn't giving him anything in return. "What's strange?" He asked, playing into whatever game she was playing.

"It's just I overheard Bonnie and Caroline talking last month and she kind of admitted she had feelings for you."

"What?" He choked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I think she has feelings for you and you obviously have feelings for her, which is good." She smiled, pleased with herself for finally getting the truth out of him. "Anyways, what do you have planned for Nate's birthday, it's on Sunday, you know."

"Yes, Bekah, I know."

"So? What are you getting him?"

"I have a few ideas, but something tells me you already know what I'm getting him." He said, knowing his sister all too well. She had that smirk plastered across her face, like she had a plan.

"Pancake breakfast for Nate, he would love you forever. Make it a surprise and maybe make some of your famous French toast and Caroline would love you forever." She winked.

"I can't intrude."

"Oh, nonsense, Nik! I'll be there too and I'm sure Stefan would like another guy around and Nate would love it."

"Fine, but make sure you tell Stefan that I'll be stopping by."

"I will, I'm sure he'll be thankful he won't have to cook breakfast for a morning."

Klaus smiled, liking the idea of surprising Nate and Caroline with breakfast. He had an idea of what he was going to get Nate for his birthday but had been putting it off. He made a mental note that he would go out tomorrow to retrieve the birthday present.

* * *

_The day seemed to fly by, everything blurring together. That morning they went to the hospital to identify the body which would then be transferred to the funeral home for appropriate services._

_Organ failure was the cause of death. His organs too tired and spent to work a second longer or even a day more. Damon passed away in his sleep, most likely not feeling a thing. _

_From the hospital, Stefan and Caroline went to the funeral home to plan the funeral. It was simple, Damon luckily already had everything planned out and they were just there to confirm everything. _

_Appropriate calls had been made to what family Stefan had left. There were a few aunts and cousins which were all surprised to hear the news, not knowing Damon was even sick in the first place. _

_When they arrived home, Caroline dragged herself up to the bed she once shared with Damon. She curled up into a ball, letting go and just allowing herself to cry. _

_She had remained strong, not shedding a tear in public. Stefan was the same, they leaned on each other for support, always courteous of the other through the day. _

_A soft knock on the door cause Caroline to look up through clouded eyes. "Stefan?"_

_"Hey, Care," he whispered, coming into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "How you feeling?"_

_"Fine."_

_"You should really eat something," he suggested, knowing that like him she hadn't been able to eat all day. _

_She shook her head, "I can't"_

_"Let me call your mom then," he tried. _

_"No!" Caroline sobbed. Her mother was the last person she wanted to talk to at that moment, she had been anything but supportive with her relationship and impending motherhood. _

_"Caroline?"_

_"Ow!" She yelled, feeling a tightening in her stomach along with a sharp pain. Caroline shot up, her hands wrapped around her belly. _

_"Care?" Stefan leaned forward, concerned, his hands cupping her face. "What's wrong?"_

_She paused, her tears stopped momentarily, as she felt a gush of water between her legs. "I think the baby's coming," she smiled. _

_Stefan shot up off the bed, "We have to go to the hospital, but it's too early, you're only eight months. Do you even have your hospital bag packed?" He was pacing back and forth in the bedroom, hands tugging at his hair._

_Caroline sat on the bed, amused at his state of distress. "It's fine, Stefan. The bag is already pack and in the closet." She managed to get herself off the bed and passed Stefan who was still pacing mumbling things to himself. _

_After changing her clothes and grabbing the bag, she made her way downstairs to call a cab. "Where are you going?" Stefan called down to her from the top of the stairs. _

_"To have a baby, you coming?"_

_"Yes!" he shouted, running down the stairs after her._

* * *

_On August Twelfth at Two Fifteen, Nathanial Michael Salvatore was born, weighing five pounds four ounces. He had a little tuff of light brown hair at the top of his head with all ten fingers and toes. Stefan counted multiple times to reassure himself that his nephew had the right amount._

_"He's perfect," Caroline whispered, astonished at the sleeping baby nestled in her arms. "I wish Damon was here."_

_"He is, just not in person," Stefan said, sitting on the bed beside her staring down at his nephew. "It's amazing if you think about it, everyday we'll have this baby as a reminder that Damon was here, he lived and loved. He's not gone, we'll see him every day in Nathanial." _

_"Stefan," Caroline sobbed, tears beginning to flow freely. She wiped at them furiously, tired of crying. "What a whirlwind of the past few days we've had."_

_"We lost a family member but gained another one," he mused, smiling. "Let me hold my nephew now."_

_"Alright," Caroline relented, handing over the sleeping baby to Stefan. "Careful."_

_"I got him." He said, hugging the infant close to his chest. "Hi Nathanial, I'm your Uncle Stefan. You don't know me yet, but you will soon." He cooed. "I am going to love you and spoil you. I'll teach you how to throw a football or baseball, whichever you choose. Your dad may not be around anymore, but I'll always be there for you, I promise." _

_Caroline smiled, listening to everything Stefan had to say. She rubbed his back in comfort knowing how hard it was for him to say that. _

_"I love you, Nathanial," he finally said, letting a lone tear slip past his eye lid and slide down his cheek. "And your father loves you too and he'll always be watching over you." _

* * *

Caroline rolls over in bed, waking from her dream of the night Nate was born. It was just coming up to two a.m.; she still couldn't believe he was turning five.

It felt like time flew by and he was growing up before her eyes. She slowly snuck out of bed, carefully navigating her way down the hall and into his bedroom.

Nate was curled up in a little ball, hugging his stuffed animal to his chest. As quietly as she could she slipped in behind him, laying down on her side, facing him.

His single bed had just enough room for the both of them. He stirred awake, rolling over to face her. After rubbing his eyes, he looked up at her. "Mommy?"

She never made a habit of sneaking into his bed and forbid him from sharing hers but on special occasions she just couldn't help it. "Happy birthday, my boy," she beamed.

Nate smiled up at her and snuggled into her chest. "I love you," he whispered.

Caroline wrapped an arm around his back, hugging him. "I love you, too."

As soon as he had been awake he had drifted back off to sleep. Caroline couldn't leave him so she settled into his little bed and eventually fell off to sleep.

Caroline woke up that morning to an empty bed and voices coming from downstairs. She noticed the clock on the bedside table only read eight o'clock and Nate was most likely up and had gotten into something.

Taking a few seconds to herself, Caroline got up and followed the sounds coming from downstairs. She entered the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks, stunned at the sight in front of her.

Klaus was standing in her kitchen, wearing a frilly pink and purple apron, making pancakes. Nate was chattering away at the breakfast bar while Stefan and Rebekah was hunched over her wedding book, no doubt talking about the wedding.

"Morning, love," Klaus smirked when he noticed she had entered the kitchen.

Nate turned in his seat, "morning, mamma."

"Morning," she said, confused, walking into the kitchen to get a better look.

On the stove looked was pancakes, bacon and hash browns frying in a pan. The smell was overwhelming, better than what Stefan usually made for breakfast.

"Hope you don't mind my intrusion, Rebekah sort of volunteer me to make breakfast," he shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

"It's totally fine, man," Stefan spoke up, probably happy to get a day off from cooking breakfast.

"It's okay, I guess," she replied, taking a seat beside Nate. Klaus handed her a cup of coffee, black and just the way she like it. "Thank you," she smiled.

"Nik makes the best pancakes; these one's are peanut butter and chocolate chip and makes them into shapes of anything I want!" Nate explained, pointing down at his pancakes which were in the shape of a dinosaur.

"Nik?"

"Yeah, Nik, he only lets his family call him that, but he said I'm allowed. Personally, I like it better than Klaus," Nate rattled off, shrugging.

Klaus turned around, looking almost guilty. "He heard Rebekah call me it and insisted he call me that too and I couldn't resist."

"It's fine," she smiled, liking how close they were.

"What would you like for breakfast this morning?" Klaus asked her.

"Try the pancakes!" Nate chimed in, shoving another forkful into his mouth.

Caroline smiled, "I'll try the pancakes, I guess."

"What flavour? Blueberry, chocolate chip, peanut butter?"

"Blueberry!" She exclaimed.

Klaus set to work, preparing fresh blueberry pancakes. Everyone was served their breakfast, all that was left was her and Klaus. A few moments later a plate of pancakes, bacon and hash browns were placed in front of her.

Her mouth watered at the sight and the smell was heavenly. "This looks so good," Caroline commented.

Klaus smirked, nodding down at the plate, "try it first and tell me how you like it."

Caroline nodded, taking a bit first of the pancakes and her eyes widened, "oh my god, these are amazing! Better than Stefan's pancakes!" After realizing her mistake, she turned to Stefan, "no offense."

"None taken, I agree with you on this one, these are really good," he agreed, eating his own chocolate chip pancakes.

"Thanks," Klaus said, slightly blushing at the compliment.

Caroline finished her breakfast, fully satisfied, and pushed her plate away from her. "That was so good," she groaned.

"Thanks, love," Klaus smiled, pushing his own plate away.

"I liked the dinosaur shaped pancakes the best!" Nate exclaimed from beside her.

"So who's the better cook?" Stefan questioned.

Nate raised a finger to his lips, thinking carefully on how he responded to that question. "I like when you make spaghetti, that's my favourite, Uncle Stefan and I like Nik's pancakes."

Everyone laughed lightly. "Fair enough," Stefan resigned.

Caroline got up from her spot and began to clean up the kitchen, Klaus followed her lead and began to help but she swatted his hand away. "You made breakfast so you don't have to help clean."

He held his hands up in surrender, "alright, I'll go sit back down."

"Good," she chuckled, beginning to collect the dishes to put in the dishwasher. "So excited for your party this afternoon, Nate?"

"Yes!" Nate beamed. "You'll be there, right, Nik?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Caroline asked Rebekah who had planned the whole birthday party even though she was in the midst of planning her own wedding.

Caroline stayed away, knowing not to mess with her and her party planning. The other girl knew Nate well so she no doubt would make it spectacular. She liked planning his parties, but Rebekah wanted something over the top this year, stating 'you only turn five once.'

"Party starts at one and it's themed, the rest is a surprise!"

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Wasn't too sad? Looking forward to the next chapter? **

**Next chapter will be Nate's birthday so that'll be really fun! Feel free to leave suggestions on what you want to see happen!**

**And one last thank you for MyNewPenName, I took your advice and hopefully it was better in this chapter. If not, could you be so kind and let me know? I'm always open for ways to improve my writing. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I am terribly sorry for the late update but I had a small case of writers block. I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the wonderful reviews, follows/favourites and readers. And hello to any new readers! I had to admit that last chapter I did tear up while writing and reading the flashbacks, so you weren't alone.**

**Lastly, a huge thank you to my amazing and busy beta, Angela. Now I'll let you enjoy this chapter and all the birthday festivities. **

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

"Nate, slow down!" Rebekah yelled after the little boy who was ten feet ahead of her trying to get to his party. She loved how happy he was and he hadn't even seen what she had set up yet. His smile was ear to ear and his bright blue eyes were shining.

Rebekah chased after him, others close behind carrying various birthday supplies and presents for the birthday boy. She caught up to him in time to open the door to the party location which happened to be a big warehouse filled with jungle gyms in the shape of castles and pirate ships. Party tables filled the opposite end.

The castle was a tall and wide, a castle fit for a King, or in this case Nate and all his friends. It was painted grey in a brick like pattern with two levels and windows all around giving the perfect view of the pirate ship and the rest of the warehouse.

On one side of the second level there was a rope bridge that attached to the side of the ship allowing easy access between the two. The pirate ship was a classic tall ship with giant sails. There were giant slides to be enjoyed to get from the top to the lower deck of the ship.

Nate stepped through the front door, Rebekah right behind him, and he looked up with wide eyes at his surroundings. "This is so cool!"

"And it's all for you," Rebekah replied, kneeling down to his height.

"Really?"

"Yes, but before you go play you'll need this," she said, placing an eye patch over his right eye and a captains hat over his head.

"Thank you, Aunt Bekah," he smiled, jumping on her for a hug. He pulled back from her, "can I go play now?"

"Of course, and your friends will be here soon. Besides, they wouldn't want to miss out on a pirate piñata or pin the parrot on the pirate," she winked.

"That sounds so cool!" Nate exclaimed, running off towards the tempting jungle gym he was itching to explore.

Before Rebekah could say another word, Nate was off running towards the pirate ship, the others just entering the warehouse. She stood up looking at Stefan, Klaus and Caroline as they studied their surroundings.

"Bex-" Stefan started.

"How did you find this place?" Caroline interrupted her mouth agape.

Rebekah just smiled proudly, "I have my sources. Now close your mouths and get to work!"

It took the others a few minutes before they got their fill of the place and set to work decorating. Table clothes were placed over the tables, with paper plates and cups, all pirate themed.

Nate loved pirates and any movie related to them, but it had taken a back seat to other interests. Rebekah loved the idea, thinking it was easy enough to decorate, and she just happened to find a party place that had a castle and ship jungle gym.

She had invited around ten friends of Nate's' and then family members or friends of Caroline, which happened to include her siblings, Katherine and Bonnie. The warehouse was a little big for who had been invited but Rebekah wanted the best for her nephew.

With the final touches being added and costumes for the kids being set up by the front door, Rebekah went to join Nate on the pirate ship. Luckily the point of entrance was just big enough for her to fit through.

Nate was sitting by the captains' wheel which overlooked the inside of the party which had yet to begin. "Hey, buddy."

"Hi," Nate smiled, not taking eyes of his mother who was below.

"What's up?"

"Nothing." He replied half-heartedly, his mind somewhere else.

"Nate."

He turned, looking up at her, sadness expressed across his features, "what if no one shows up?"

"They will, everyone said they were coming," she smiled. "Let's play while we wait."

"Okay," he said, standing up and tapping her on the shoulder, "you're it!"

Rebekah gave him a head start before getting up and chasing after him. Nate began laughing as he ran through the jungle gym and sliding down one of the slides.

* * *

A half hour later Rebekah was relieved of playing tag, already exhausted, when a few children showed up for the party. She made her way over to the tables, where the adults were sitting. She plopped down in a seat between Stefan and Klaus who were talking.

Caroline was at the door, talking to a mother as their child ran into the party and straight to the jungle gym. Rebekah was used to how birthday parties worked, attending every single one of Nates'.

She scowled when she saw Elijah and Katherine walking towards them, regretting that she had to invite Katherine. She was already showing slightly at five months. The soon to be parents, had a smile plastered over their face as they watched the children play around them.

Kol and Bonnie followed in behind them, hand in hand. Rebekah stood up, along with Stefan and Klaus to greet them. She gave a hug to everyone, resisting the urge not to strangle Katherine.

"Where's the birthday boy?" Kol questioned, looking around for Nate.

"Kol," Bonnie warned, "remember you're going to behave."

"Yes, dear," he smirked before walking off towards where the kids were playing.

"Wow, Rebekah, this looks really great," Bonnie commented, looking around at the party.

"Yes, sister, you really outdid yourself this time," Elijah noted, as he too looked around.

Stefan wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I hope our wedding will be as good as this."

"Knowing, Bekah, it will be," Klaus remarked.

Kol returned with Nate under his arm laughing as he squirmed to get out of the tight hold. "Be careful with my nephew!" Rebekah yelled.

Kol rolled his eyes, "someone here wants to say hello." He placed Nate back on solid ground in front of the adults.

"Hello," he said, smiling up at everyone.

"You remember my brother Elijah and his wife Katherine?" Rebekah asked.

Nate nodded, walking up and giving each one a hug before jumping on Bonnie. "Hi, Auntie Bonnie."

"Happy Birthday," she smiled. "What'd you get me?"

Bonnie laughed, "It's a surprise."

Nate frowned, scrambling out of her grasp as he looked towards Elijah and Katherine with a smirk. "What'd you get me?"

Katherine bent down to his height, an evil glint in her brown eyes. "You have to promise not to tell anyone, alright?" Nate nodded eagerly; Katherine raised her finger telling him to come closer so she could whisper in his ear.

Who knew Katherine of all people would be so good with children, Rebekah thought surprised as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Elijah watched proudly, knowing she would no doubt be amazing with their unborn child.

Nate pulled back from Katherine and launched himself at her, flinging his arms around her neck. Katherine caught him, giving him a tight hug as she looked up at Elijah. Nate whispered one more thing in her ear which caused her to laugh.

"Why don't you go play and enjoy your birthday?" Katherine suggested, letting the boy go to stand up beside her husband. Nate smiled as he turned his back and ran back towards the castle.

"What'd you get him?" Kol asked, looking between Katherine and Elijah.

Katherine smirked, "that's for us to know and for you to find out."

Kol groaned, grabbing Bonnie's hand and taking her to talk to Klaus and Stefan while Rebekah following close behind.

Elijah wrapped his arms around Katherine's' waist, pulling her into him while she grabbed hold of the lapels on his suit. "You are going to make an excellent mother."

"And you are going to make an excellent father," she said with a smirk as she reached up to give him a chaste kiss on his lips. "Now let's go make small talk with the rest of your family."

"Yes, dear."

* * *

Once all the children had arrive, Caroline stood at the edge of the play area watching the kids, making sure no one got hurt. Each child had been given an outfit to where to match the theme of the party. Nate was playing happily with a few of his friends, Michael and Jeffery. They were twins he had met at the park a few years ago and they have been almost inseparable ever since.

She felt someone slide up beside her and she looked over to see Stefan there. Caroline took a look behind her to see all the Mikaelson siblings plus Katherine and Bonnie all engaged in conversation. Rebekah was scrambling around looking like she was getting ready for one of the games she had planned.

Caroline turned back to look at Stefan who was absorbed looking at the kids, watching them laugh and play amongst each other. "You think he'll be alright?" Caroline asked, turning her attention back to watching Nate. Stefan looked over at her clearly confused. "Growing up without knowing his father."

Stefan draped his arm over her shoulder, "you turned out fine and you never met your father.

Caroline shook her head with a dry laugh, "I barely turned out fine, Stefan. I got pregnant at eighteen and am a single mother."

"You're an amazing mother, Caroline, and you know what I mean."

"I think about moving on sometimes," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Stefan held his tongue, sensing she was going to continue. "I'm scared, Stefan. It's been years since I've dated anyone, it's always ever been just Damon and now Nate."

Stefan turned so they were eye to eye as he grabbed her shoulders and looked down into her eyes, a small smile played on the corner of his lips. "I think it's time, you deserve to find someone who will love not only you but Nate as well. It doesn't have to be right now, you just have to be open to the possibility of love again."

"Awe, Stefan you're such a sappy old man," Caroline joked. "But, thank you for everything."

Stefan laughed and was about to respond when Rebekah was by their side, hands on hips with a determined expression. "Alright, kiddies, time for games!"

All the children stopped what they were doing at the mention of the word 'games' and ran off the jungle gym and over to where Rebekah was now standing. She had set up an area for games beside the tables set up for the first game which just happened to be pin 'the parrot on the pirate'.

She ordered everyone to sit down a few feet away from the wall where the poster was set up. She held the parrots in one hand and a blind fold in the other as she stood in front of the group sitting on the ground. Caroline joined the adults, allowing Rebekah to take the reins on the games while she prepared for lunch.

"So have you all play pin the tail on the donkey?" Rebekah asked the children sitting in front of her.

"Yes," they all replied with a few eye rolls.

"Excellent, well this is a modified version of that," she explained, earning a few blank stares. "Pin the parrot on the pirates shoulder." She earned a few 'ohs' as they understood what they game was. "Who's first?"

"Me!" A boy with red hair yelled, standing up. She recognized him as Wesley and had seen him a few times on a play date with Nate and knew he was a year older than the other kids.

"It's my birthday, I should go first!" Nate exclaimed, coming to stand in front of the other boy.

"No, party guests first," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone that made Nate angry.

Rebekah stepped in before anyone's toes got stepped on, "Nate, why don't you let Wesley go first."

"Fine!" He pouted, crossing his arms across his chest and sat down where he was standing.

Wesley smiled triumphantly, walking towards the poster waiting for Rebekah. She carefully tied the blindfold over his eyes and spun him around five times before pointing him towards the wall and handing him the parrot.

She did this with the rest of the children, all of them enjoying the little game as the parrot was placed all over the poster. Maggie, one of the few girls at the party, got the closest to getting the parrot on one of the shoulders by placing it on the neck. Others were placed outside the pirate or on the legs or above the head.

"Maggie won!" Rebekah cheered after the last child went.

"What's her prize?" Nate asked, smiling over at Maggie. Rebekah thought she saw something in his eyes, like he was crushing on the girl. So being any concerned aunt, sized her up in case they got married. Maggie was cute, her light brown hair done up in two French braids, with dark green eyes and dimples.

Rebekah didn't actually have any prizes for the games she designed and had to come up with something. She looked around her, for something or anything to use as a prize when she spotted a white box that held the cake. "The prize is an extra piece of cake!"

"Yay!" Maggie exclaimed, jumping up and down on the spot. Nate watched her adoringly; yes, he had a crush on that little girl.

"Now, do we want lunch or to play another game first?" She questioned.

"Another game!" One of the children shouted which was followed by cheering from the rest of them.

Rebekah nodded, "right then, I'll go get the piñata."

She made her way over to the table where the presents, food and games sat. She picked up the pirate designed piñata and the long wooden stick from the table and made her way back to the children. She felt someone following behind her and when she peaked over her shoulder she saw Kol. Of course he would want to play with the children, she was surprised it didn't happen earlier.

"I want to play," Kol said from behind her.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "of course you want to play."

"I happen to be amazing with piñata, take's me back to my baseball days," he smirked.

Rebekah shoved the piñata and the accompanying poll attached at Kol, "go hold this up over there." She pointed to the empty spot in front of the group of children, and bowed his head making his way over there.

She followed him with the extra poll used for hitting the piñata and grabbed the blindfold off the ground. "Alright, who's first?" She asked the group causing ten hands to shoot up in the air. "How about we let the birthday boy go first," Rebekah suggested, winking at Nate.

He smiled proudly, stepping forward. She bent down, slipping the blindfold over his eyes and handing the long stick to him. Rebekah spun him a few times and pointed him in the direction of where the piñata was sitting in the air.

Kol smirked, waiting until the last moment before the stick hit the piñata and moving it out of reach. Nate tried again and again, but failing each time with the piñata moving on him.

He pulled the blindfold off disappointed. "Better luck next time, mate," Kol teased.

"Ignore him," Rebekah whispered to Nate before ushering him back to the others.

She helped the other kids get prepared all the same, none of them having luck especially with Kol being the piñata operator. "My turn!" He said happily, dropping the piñata on the floor and jumping to grab the blindfold out of Rebekah's hand.

Kol," she scowled but he had already put the piece of cloth over his eyes. "This game is for the children!"

"He is a child," Caroline commented, joining them.

"Harsh, love." Kol said, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm wounded by your words."

Rebekah picked up the long poll along with the piñata and held it out for Kol to swing at. "Fine, just one hit!" She relented.

"Caroline, will you spin me?"

"Fine," she mumbled, walking over to Kol and gripped his shoulders and spun him until he was visibly dizzy. Caroline faced him towards Rebekah who was holding the piñata out at arm's length.

"Alright," he smirked, taking a swing at the thing but missing considerably being that he had turned the wrong way. He swung again, missing. "This would be much easier if I had my bat," he groaned.

"You're not even facing the right way," Caroline laughed, stepping forward and fixing his error.

Kol took another swing, this time hitting the middle of the piñata. He pushed the blindfold up onto his forehead, "I hit it!"

Caroline grabbed the stick out of his hand, "yes and you're going to let someone else finish it off."

"Of course," he smirked, handing over the blindfold to Caroline.

"Can I do it?" Nate asked.

"Sure, come on up," she smiled at him. He stepped forward and put the blindfold on and took the stick from Caroline. She spun him around and pointed him in the right direction.

He took a few swings before hitting the spot already hit. Rebekah took it easy on him, not moving the piñata. "Try again, Nate," Caroline encouraged.

Nate had his tongue stuck out in concentration and he stepped closer and swung the stick as hard as he could, this time earning a loud crack to run through the middle of the pirate piñata.

"One more hit!"

Nate swung again, and was finally successful, the pinata breaking in half sending candy to fall to the floor. All the kids leaped forward at the sight, gabbing onto what candy they could. Nate was no exception, taking of the blindfold and throwing the stick away, he fell to the floor to scoop up as much candy as possible.

"I want some," Kol whined.

Caroline and Rebekah laughed. "You can have whatever's left," Caroline suggested.

There's not going to be anything left!"

"Are you sure you're not five years old, Kol?" Bonnie asked, sliding up beside him.

"I'm absolutely positive, darling," he smirked, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Caroline smiled to herself watching the couple, realizing she had never seen her best friend so happy before. She winked when Bonnie caught her staring.

Once all the candy had been claimed, Caroline had guided the children to the already set tables that had food distributed evenly on the plates. Stefan, no doubt, reading her mind and being helpful.

She took a seat at the other table between Stefan and Rebekah, with Elijah, Katherine and Bonnie on the other side. Klaus and Kol had been summoned by Nate to sit at the children's table, something Rebekah and Elijah found humorous.

This birthday had run smoother than any others of Nate's, no doubt from Rebekah's superior planning skills. On his first birthday she had been so caught up in the day and overwhelmed with everything that she had forgotten to buy a candle.

Caroline watch as Klaus ate his lunch with a bunch of four to seven year olds', being patient and kind as they tried copying his accent. Nate just smiled up happy that he was there at his party. Kol chatted to one of the younger girls who was particularly shy, drawing her out of her shell and making her laugh.

"So what's next, party planner Rebekah?" Stefan questioned between bits of his pizza.

"Cake and presents!" She exclaimed happily as she finished off the crust of her own slice.

* * *

Surprisingly the cake and presents part of the party went by smoothly. Nate blew out his five candles; the cake was vanilla and designed as a pirate's chest which was cut into pieces for everyone. Most kids got two slices, fueling up on more sugar which would lead to disaster later on but Caroline didn't worry about it.

Nate happily unwrapped all his presents which were piled high in front of him. He got books, which were tossed aside as he found them uninteresting. A few new movies, such as Cars 2 which he had yet to watch; plastic cars of varying size, some were hot wheels and a few replicas from the Cars movie.

Bonnie and Kol had given him a stuffed animal in the form of Sully from Monsters Inc. which he clung too, absolutely in love with. But his interest had peaked when he opened Elijah and Katherine's gift, a brand new Tomas the Tank Engine train set that came with a few character trains and tracks. Caroline had to jump in to make sure he didn't open it up then and there.

Though none of the gifts topped Klaus' and it wasn't because Nate adored him. Nate held a large rectangular painting, the objects being the cast of the avengers. Iron Man sat front and center, the mask was pushed up and the face closely resembled Nate. "Is this me?" He asked, looking up at Klaus who was standing behind him.

Klaus smiled, "yes, as Iron Man."

Nates' face lit up as he took the full meaning behind the gift, stealing looks between the painting and Klaus. "You painted this?" Klaus nodded. "That is so cool!" Nate exclaimed, gently putting the painting down on the table. He stood up on his chair and turned around, flinging himself at Klaus who caught him.

Klaus wrapped his arms around him, picking him up to bring him closer. "I'm glad you like it, mate."

"Like it? I Love it!" Nate said as he pulled back to look at Klaus. "Best birthday present ever!"

"Hey!" Katherine shouted incredulously from beside the two. "I thought mine was!"

"Sorry," Nate blushed. "I do like yours too, Katherine."

"Good, you better!" She said, pointing her finger at him.

Nate laughed, squirming in Klaus' arms so he set him gently back down on the ground. "Can we go play now?"

"Sure," Caroline said with a small smile, her heart still warm at the scene she just witnessed. Nate grabbed a soccer ball that he had just received as a present and waved for his friends to follow him over to an empty space in front of the jungle gyms. "Be careful and don't break anything!" She shouted after them.

"I'll go watch them," Klaus suggested, already heading over to where the soccer ball was being passed around.

"You know what, me to," Kol said, smirking at the girls as he followed his brother.

"I'll join them," Stefan added.

Sudden realization came over Caroline, "you just don't want to have to help clean up!"

Stefan turned around smirking, "you caught us."

Caroline rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed at Stefan and Kol for trying to avoid cleaning up. "Typical men," she muttered under her breath.

"Are you going to run away too?" Rebekah asked, turning to look at the last remaining Mikaelson brother.

Elijah gulped, "I think I'll stay and help."

"You damn right you will," Rebekah snapped, already getting to work on cleaning up the mess. There were still plates with half eaten pizza and cake left on the table. As well as cups and used napkins littering the table, along with wrapping paper and the presents themselves.

Everyone remaining got to work, except Katherine claiming she was too pregnant causing Rebekah to just scoff and turn up her nose at the brunette. Caroline and Bonnie were taking the gifts out to Elijah's' car that they had borrowed for the day to make it easier with hauling all the presents back.

Now that she had Bonnie cornered, she needed some girl talk, especially to find out how things were going with Kol. Caroline had been so preoccupied lately, that she had neglected time to gossip with her best friend. As she closed the trunk to the black SUV, Caroline turned around and smirked at Bonnie.

"What?" Bonnie asked, slightly scared as to why the blonde was staring at her like that.

Caroline's' smirk only grew, "how are things with Kol?"

"Good," she nodded. "Really good."

"That's all you have to say? Give me details, woman!"

Bonnie laughed and then grinned like an idiot. "He's amazing, Care! Kol is just so caring and funny and sincere and light and just amazing," she gushed.

"Someone's in love."

Bonnie took a few steps back, taken off guard. "We've been dating for two months, it's too soon to love him."

"The heart wants what it wants, Bonnie," Caroline smiled, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

"And what does yours want?" She asked, this time taking Caroline off guard.

"Bonnie-"

"I see the way you've been looking at Klaus today."

"It's nothing." Caroline shook her head.

"Care, you have feelings for the guy. The only thing holding you back before was that Nate didn't like him but now the kid loves Klaus, so what's your excuse now?"

"I-don't know. Why are you doing this?"

"I want to see my best friend happy," Bonnie replied with a small smile.

Caroline sighed, "what if I'm happy without him?"

"You need someone other than family to love you, Care, and I see the way Klaus looks at you, it's like you're the only person for him. Take a chance, now is the perfect time."

"Everyone's been telling me that for months," Caroline complained.

"Because they're right, lighten up you've already gone out with him so it's not going to hurt if you ask for a second date." Bonnie smirked, seeing Caroline brighten up at the possibility.

"First of all that one date we had months ago wasn't real, and second of all we'll see." She said smiling. "Now let's get back to the party." Bonnie hooked her arm through Caroline's' as they walked back inside.

Her thoughts lost in what she would do about Klaus. She had been thinking a lot about their relationship lately, which was currently nonexistent, but she couldn't help the feeling of wanting to give him a real chance.

* * *

Klaus watched from afar as Caroline stood at the front door talking to the last remaining child's mother. He was sitting on top of the castle with Nate, though he wasn't very talkative at the moment which was unusual for the boy. He looked down to see him drawing nondescript patterns on the floor, his face turned down and looking rather upset.

"What's wrong, mate?" He asked, settling down beside him.

Nate didn't look up but continued drawing with his fingers when finally he spoke. "I wish my dad was here. Did you know he died before he was born?"

"I did not," Klaus said, frowning slightly at the mention of his father. "You're allowed to miss him, I miss my father."

"Do you?" Nate finally raised his head, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Klaus smiled sadly, "every day. I never knew my real father though; Mikael was just my step-father."

"It sucks," Nate commented, turning his attention back to his hands which were fidgeting in his lap.

"It does, but you have your Uncle Stefan and I had Mikael and my siblings. You also have me and Kol, Bonnie and Rebekah; we'll always be there for you," Klaus said.

"You really mean that?" Nate asked his attention back on Klaus.

He nodded; Nate smiled up brightly at him as he stood up to hug him. "Thank you, Nik."

"Any time, mate," he replied, hugging the little boy back.

"Nate, come say good bye to Katherine and Elijah!" Caroline called from bellow.

"Coming!" He yelled back, pulling out of Klaus' grasp and sliding down on of the slides that came out of the castle.

Klaus was about to climb down the stairs at the far end but saw a blonde head walking up the very set of stairs towards him. He sat back where he had been sitting moments before with Nate. Both legs out in front of him as his back rested against the wall of the castle.

Caroline didn't say anything but sat beside him, legs pulled up to her chest. She rested her cheek against her knees, head turned looking over at him. "You're really great with Nate."

Klaus shrugged his shoulders, "he reminds me of myself when I was younger."

"I heard you say you never knew your father, but I thought he died when you were ten?"

"I was the result of an affair. My parents were going through a rough patch in their marriage which led to my mother seeing another man on the side. Mikael took her back even though she was pregnant, he didn't want her to have to raise three kids on her own. They fixed their problems, more in love than ever and had three more children before he passed away." Klaus explained, an expression of sadness crossing his features as his eyes fell.

"So I never knew my biological father, but Mikael was a better father because of it. He never let me feel like I didn't belong and I think I was his favourite because I wasn't his." He continued smiling just the slightest bit.

"He sounds amazing."

"He was." Klaus replied, now smiling as he looked over at Caroline to see her watching him intently, a small smile of her own playing on her lips. "I think Nate had a good birthday." He said changing the subject rather easily but Caroline paid it no mind knowing it would be hard to talk about it.

"I think so too, Rebekah did a great job planning everything, I can only imagine what her wedding will be like."

"Think a thousand times bigger than this party with a lot of white, pink, and lace," Klaus laughed. Caroline joined in and Klaus couldn't help but love the sound of her voice or the way her face crinkled up as she laughed.

"She only wants the best, which is why I am dreading these next few weeks."

"Are you talking about me?" Rebekah snapped from bellow. Caroline got up and looked over the castle wall down on the blonde who stood with hands on her hip.

Klaus sidled up beside her, "we're only talking about what a bride-zilla you'll be weeks before the wedding."

"Nik!" She yelled, throwing the soccer ball at his head which he expertly ducked.

"What it's true," he laughed, coming back to the edge.

"Bonnie and Kol already left and Stefan and I are ready to leave too," she said.

"Alright, we're coming down." Caroline relented, getting up off her knees with Klaus following suit. "Thank you for everything today."

"No problem, sweetheart, I rather enjoyed myself." He smiled as he followed her to the far end of the castle and walked down the stairs to the ground floor.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs Caroline stopped and grabbed onto Klaus' arm to turn him to face her. She had overheard everything he had said to Nate and listened to every word about Mikael and how he talked about his step-father with such adoration. Caroline had seen another side to him, one different than his normal friendly and caring one he always showed.

She realized that if she were to move on or take a chance on anyone, that she would want it to be with Klaus. He cared so much for Nate, he understood what it was like to be him, and it helped that the two got along so well.

"I apologize for ignoring you these past few weeks," she blushed, looking down at her feet. "You didn't deserve that, I was just trying to stay out of your way so I wouldn't succumb to liking you any more than I did."

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, his eyes lighting up with a mix between surprise and happiness. "And?"

"It didn't work," she admitted. "So I was thinking that if I had to choose someone to have my first date with in years, that I would want it to be with you."

"You want to go on a date with me?"

"Yes, a real one this time. I want to try the whole dating thing with you," she said looking up at him, but quickly added, "if you want."

Klaus stepped forward, "I would be happy to go on a date with you and 'try this dating thing'," he smirked. His hand rose up as he ran the back of his hand along her cheek and eventually pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll call you later in the week to set something up."

Caroline nodded, about to respond when Nate came running up to them. "Rebekah wants to go."

"Alright, let's get going before she blows a gasket," Klaus said laughing.

* * *

It was later that night, everyone had settled down. Klaus and Rebekah both at their respective apartments while Stefan retreated to his room. The remaining cake and food from the party all in the fridge while Nate's' presents sat in the front hall waiting for tomorrow to be put away.

Caroline was curled up with Nate on his bed, much like the night before. She leaned back against the headboard, Nate cuddled up against her side as both sat under the Cars themed covers. On top of them sat a few books for them to read and his final present. She kept it for last, wanting to open it up when they were alone.

"Am I going to have a step-dad like Nik?" Nate asked as he flipped through a picture book on his lap.

"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline questioned, confused.

"Nik had a step-dad, so will I get one too?"

"Only if I re-marry but that won't be for a long, long time, buddy."

"Why?"

"Because I have to date first and then fall in love," she explained as simple as she could.

"I think you should fall in love with Nik. I like him, he's funny and he can paint and he's not scared of Percy." Nate said his attention still on the book.

Caroline chuckled, "it doesn't work like that, but I'll keep that in mind. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now how 'bout we open your last gift?"

Nate nodded, folding the book up and putting it with the others that sat farther down on the bed. The pile that they would read later together before he fell asleep.

Caroline handed the gift bag to Nate who opened it eagerly, pulling out the tissue paper and throwing it onto the floor. He pulled out a picture frame and turned it over to see the content.

Two teenagers standing together, one in front of the other, arm in arm, smiled up at them. The girl, of blonde hair and blue eyes while the male who stood behind her had dark hair and light blue eyes. His hands were clasped over hers which settled on top of her pregnant belly. Happiness radiated from the picture.

"Is this you and my dad?" Nate asked, turning to look up at her.

"Yup," she replied, casting looks between Damon and Nate. She was able to note a few similarities between the two men but she had to admit he had more of Caroline in him.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, wrapping his one arm around her as his other held onto the frame.

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Nate spent a few minutes looking at the picture, mostly at Damon. He had seen pictures before but none of that degree, of him and Caroline together and looking happy. He was old enough now to know who the person was in that frame, and to understand why he wasn't with them.

"I love you, momma," Nate said.

"I love you, too," she smiled down at him, her hand sweeping over his hair as she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Now how about we read some book? Would you like Thomas or Bernstein Bears?"

"Thomas!" He exclaimed as he hugged the picture frame to his body.

Caroline picked up a Thomas book from the bed and began to read, Nate settling into her side. She read two books about Thomas the Tank Engine before he fell asleep.

She carefully climbed out of bed, taking the books with her and putting it on the bookshelf along the wall. Caroline pulled the covers up to his chin, noticing that Nate still clutched the picture frame to his chest.

She let him have it, knowing no harm could come to him sleeping with it for one night. Caroline made a mental note that in the morning she would put it in a safe place, most likely on his night stand beside his bed.

Caroline retreated out of the room, pausing at the doorway as she turned off the lights. She took a few minutes studying Nate as he slept, his body curled around the picture frame as he clung to it. She smiled at the sight and closed the door behind her.

Nate had been amazing the past few days, taking everything about Damon in stride and being so mature for his age and understanding. She could only hope that he would be the same when it came time to explain to him about her and Klaus. It helped that Nate already loved Klaus, so he would most likely jump on board rather easily when he finds out that they're dating.

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Excited for their very first official date? What do you want to happen next?**

**I'm planning on adding in a few more flashbacks over the course of the next few chapters, seeing as I've had a few request for them.**

**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Just a notice that I am returning to school next week so I'm not sure how often I will be able to update. I do have a fairly light schedule so I'm aiming for the usual weekly update. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Big thank you to all the lovely reviews, favourite and follows. A quick welcome to any new readers giving this fic a chance. And a thank you to be wonderful beta, Angela. Now, n extra long chapter for the wait. It includes lots of Klaroline goodness, hope y'all enjoy it! **

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Caroline got ready for her first date with Damon, unable to control the butterflies in her stomach or keep her hands from shaking too much. This was officially her first date with anyone and she wanted it to be perfect. _

_She straightened her hair, donned her favourite pair of jeans with a light, pink tank top and white cardigan. She looked almost angelic with the soft colours contrasting perfectly with her creamy skin. _

_The doorbell rang, sounding throughout the house. She threw the lip gloss she just applied into her purse and picked it up putting it over her shoulder. Thankfully her mother wasn't home so she couldn't interrogate her date or threaten him in any way, even if she knew him since he was young. _

_Caroline opened the front door to find Damon standing in front of her, clad in a light blue dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and the collar open with the top few buttons undone. The colour brought out his eyes, making them appear brighter and bluer than what seemed as humanly possible. His shirt was tucked into his jeans, which made her burst out with laughter._

_"What?" he asked confused as he looked at her like she was crazy._

_Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to calm down. She shook her head, breathing rapidly as the laughter subsided, "nothing, you just look like a dork with your shirt tucked into your pants like that."_

_Damon smirked, "I happen to look very dashing, my mother told me so."_

_"That doesn't help your case," she giggled as she stepped forward. "I agree, you do look very dashing." Caroline pecked his cheek before turning around to close the front door and lock it. "So where to, Mr. Salvatore?"_

_She hooked her arm with his as they walked the streets of Mystic Falls and towards the town square, talking about anything and everything. When they reached the center of town, a large patch of grass with a gazebo and benches, a blanket and picnic basket were waiting for them. _

_"This is for us?" Caroline questioned as she sat down with her legs folded underneath her._

_Damon nodded, opening the basket and began to pull food out. He had sandwiches and juice boxes, a simple meal which he obviously made since he didn't know how to cook. "I know it's not much, but it's the thought that counts right?" _

_Caroline looked up and caught him blushing so she smiled and nodded as she picked up a sandwich and proceeded to eat it. She felt something crunchy and scrunched up her nose, the taste was bearable but the ingredients were not supposed to go together. Opening up the sandwich for inspection, she found lettuce with cucumbers and roast beef. _

_"Damon, what is this?" _

_"My favourite sandwich," he smiled as he took a bit of his own. The taste was unnoticed by him as he happily chewed on his meal. _

_Caroline took another bite, not wanting to upset him for turning up his nose at something he worked so hard for. Yet as she took her second bite, she really couldn't stand the taste as she found he had added an unidentifiable sauce. _

_Damon noticed her face of disgust which she really couldn't hide as she drained a juice box to try and get rid of the sour taste in her mouth. "Don't like it?"_

_"Not, really," she whispered, looking down to avoid his gaze. _

_"Oh," he said, putting down his sandwich. "We can go to The Grill?"_

_"It's fine, we don't have to go anywhere," she tried, placing her hand on his arm. _

_Damon shook his head and began to pack everything back up in the basket. "Come on, let's get you some real food," he smiled brightly as he got up and held his hand out and helped her up._

_Caroline smiled shyly at him, 'if you insist."_

_"I insist," he said as he reached down and grabbed hold of her hand as he began to lead her towards the restaurant only a few yards away. _

_"Wait, what about the picnic basket and blanket?"_

_"Stefan will pick it up," he shrugged. _

_Hours later Damon walked her back home, her white cardigan stained with soda while Damon's' crisp blue shirt was stained with spaghetti sauce. The date was quite eventful with Caroline spilling her drink over the table and inevitably getting it on herself. Damon, being the messy eater he was, spilled sauce on himself. They just laughed at the misfortunate turn of events, but didn't let it get their spirits down. _

_Caroline turned around facing Damon as they stood under the porch light as they reached her front door. "I had a really great time," she smiled up at him. _

_"I'm really sorry about the picnic and dinner, I wanted everything to be perfect," he said sadly. _

_Caroline reached up, one hand on his cheek and brought him to look at her. "It was perfect."_

_His eyes lit up almost instantly as a new round of confidence passed through him. "Good." Damon lowered his head, his eyes locked on hers as his lips gently brushed hers. He pulled back, "goodnight, Caroline." _

_Caroline was speechless, she just had her first kiss and it was utterly perfect. "Goodnight," she managed. _

_Damon sent her a wink before retreating down the front steps and making his way back home. Caroline watched him go, her fingers on her lips as they tingled from his touch. Her thoughts were on the date they just shared and how it didn't go as planned but was still perfect. _

* * *

Caroline was nervous for her date with Klaus, it wasn't just any date, it was their official first date. If there was one thing Caroline didn't do well, it was first dates. She only had one all her life and that was only with Damon, someone she knew extremely well; but Klaus was different.

She only knew Klaus for a few months, they had already had a date, if you could even call it that, and he was willing to date a single mother. Caroline was still nervous as she meticulously planned her outfit, needing something stylish but comfortable seeing as he wanted to spend the whole day with her.

It was suppose to be a happy day, a day that was all about Klaus and her so they could get to know each other; but she just couldn't get Damon and their first date out of her head. Caroline could stop thinking about everything that went wrong, their date was far from perfect even though she insisted that it was. She wanted to remember everything so she knew what not to do with Klaus because she wanted the perfect date with him. He deserved the perfect date, especially after she had been so back and forth with her feelings for him.

Caroline smiled to herself, thinking back on how honest Klaus had been with not only her but Nate. She was nervous taking a chance, it wasn't because it was Klaus, and it was because she hadn't dated in years. She wasn't sure if she would be able to hold a normal conversation that didn't revolve around why children had to eat their fruits and vegetables.

Nerves fluttered through her stomach as it twisted and churned. Caroline had no idea where he was taking her; she couldn't possibly imagine where they could spend all day together. She had expected him to be a dinner and a movie type of guy, but Klaus was nothing that she expected and she like that about him.

Caroline studied the clothes that she had laid out on the bed. There were dresses and blouses and shorts and jeans, all different types of clothing. It didn't help matters that she didn't know where she was going so how could she possibly pick an outfit?

What if they were spending all day inside, then she couldn't wear a dress because she would freeze from the air conditioning. Or if she wore pants, then she may sweat to death if they spent all day outside. Her mind ran wild with all the possible scenarios and locations of her date.

Caroline was broken from her thoughts when she heard a little voice come from behind her. "What are you doing?" Nate asked, sitting on the bed and looking up at her with confusion.

She stopped her pacing and stood in front of her bed, looking down at the clothes and then him. Her thumb went up to her mouth as she chewed her nail and studied her options. "I'm trying to pick out what I should wear for my date with Klaus."

Caroline had told Nate about her date with his favourite person earlier in the week and he was ecstatic. He told everyone that he saw about how his mother had a date with Nik and how much he loved Nik and that Nik was going to be his step-dad because Caroline was going to fall in love with him.

She knew she should be happy; her son liked the man she was dating. Yet, there was a small gut feeling that she couldn't get rid of, almost like a nagging in the back of her head reminding her that things probably won't work out between her and Klaus.

Nate was just a boy, he didn't understand the way adult relationships worked, and Caroline just couldn't bring herself to tear him down; she didn't have the heart to and hated seeing her son upset. So she let Nate talk about Klaus, feeling guilty for getting his hopes up for something that may not work out in the end.

"I like this one," Nate said, breaking her from her thoughts. She looked down to see a white sundress with a red floral design in his hands. A bright smile graced his lips as he looked up at her.

Caroline took the dress from him and examined it closely, it was an old favourite, and something she hadn't worn in years but fit her perfectly. She moved a pile of clothes over so she could sit on the bed beside Nate, the dress resting on her lap. "You're fine with me going on a date, right?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, his blue eyes lighting up with excitement.

Caroline inwardly groaned but couldn't help be proud at his optimism, it helped silence her own pessimism. "Honey, I just want you to know that things may not work out with Klaus and I. Just because we are going on a date doesn't mean we are going to get married."

"Why?"

She didn't know how exactly to explain to her five year old how dating worked, hell she was twenty five and barely understood how dating worked. So she came up with the best answer she could, "you'll understand some day. I'm going to go get ready, why don't you wait downstairs for Bonnie?"

"Okay," he smiled, jumping off the bed and made his way out into the hall. She could hear him stomping and jumping his way down the stairs.

Caroline took the time to finish getting ready; she already had her makeup and hair done. So she slipped into the bathroom and changed into the dress, it fitting like a glove, just like she expected. Slipping on a pair of white, strappy sandals from her closet she joined Nate downstairs.

It was late in the morning, Klaus promising to pick her up before noon and Bonnie just before then. Surprisingly, she wasn't there yet and Klaus was due to arrive any second. As Caroline made her descent down the stairs the doorbell rang, "that must be Bonnie."

She opened the front door to Klaus, flowers in his hand and a small smirk on his lips. "Hello, sweetheart," he said walking into the house, dropping a kiss to her cheek as he passed.

Caroline closed the door and turned around, her mouth a gape. "Hi," she squeaked.

"These are for you," he said, holding out the flowers. She took them, peering down to a sea of purple, white and pink flowers.

"Thank you, I'm just going to go put these in water." She retreated out of the room and into the kitchen, flowers in hand. She could hear Nate already talking to Klaus about the date and how even though he wasn't going on it he was excited.

"Who said you weren't coming?" Caroline heard Klaus ask, his voice light and playful.

She strained her ears to hear what Nate was saying but only heard hushed whispers as Klaus replied. Caroline quickly unwrapped the flowers and dumped them into a vase with water so she could return back to where the boys were. She was curious as to what Klaus had up his sleeve.

When she re-entered the front hall Nate had disappeared and Klaus was standing there by himself, back turned as he took in a piece of art work that hung giving her ample time to take his appearance in. Klaus was wearing a fitted navy v-neck, most likely bringing out his eyes, and showing off his biceps. His wardrobe was put together with a pair of dark blue jeans.

He must have sensed her presence because he turned around moments after she entered, and he smirked at her. "I'm just going to call Bonnie, see where she is, she's supposed to be babysitting Nate today."

Before Klaus could reply, her phone went off from the pocket of her dress. "Hello?"

* * *

"Kol, get off me," Bonnie whined as she pushed at her boyfriends' shoulders. However, he never budged, still laying on top of her, running his lips down her neck with open kisses. "I have to go pick up Nate, we're baby-sitting today."

Kol pulled back, smirking down at her. "Afraid not, darling, Nik is taking Nate with him and Caroline on their date."

"Why wasn't I informed?"

"It's a surprise for Caroline and I forgot to tell you last night," he shrugged, lowering his head and began to attack her neck again.

Bonnie shoved him, pushing at his shoulders, Kol reluctantly pulled back. "You should have told me earlier, now I have to call Caroline, she's probably freaking out."

She slipped out from underneath him, Kol groaning in the process. Bonnie threw on a pair of shorts and tank top from the floor and made her way out of the bedroom and into the living room where her cell phone was abandoned. Picking it up she quickly dialled Caroline's number and heard the familiar blonde, _"Hello?"_

"Hey, Care, it's Bonnie," she smiled through gritted teeth, ready to hear an earful.

_"Where the hell are you?"_ She screeched into the phone. Bonnie, instinctively pulled it away from her ear as to not harm her ear drums.

_"I told Kol they didn't need to babysit today," _Klaus said to Caroline on the other end.

_"What do you mean they don't need to baby sit?" _Caroline asked him confused. Bonnie now pressed the phone closer to her ear to hear the conversation on the other end. _"What about Nate?"_

_"I invited him to come along with us."_

_"Why?"_

_"You'll see. Bonnie, thank my brother for me, and thank you for offering but your service will not be needed today," _Klaus yelled into the phone.

"It's not a problem, have fun, Care," Bonnie said, unable to contain her smile.

She hung up after saying her goodbyes and wishing Caroline good luck, and returned back to the bedroom where her very unhappy boyfriend was waiting.

Kol was sat upright in bed, leaning against the head board with his arms crossed. Bonnie smirked, running over to him and jumping on top, straddling him. "You're brother's smooth."

"I'm smoother," Kol retorted, grabbing onto her hips and flipping them over so he was now on top. "Now, where were we?" He questioned before lowering his head, intentionally missing her lips and went right for her neck.

* * *

Caroline turned around after ending her phone call with Bonnie to see a smirking Klaus. She reached out and playfully hit his chest, "you could have told me you wanted to take Nate with us today."

"I thought I'd surprise you."

"I hate surprises," she said, trying to look upset but couldn't wipe the smile from her face.

"I'm ready! I'm ready!" Nate yelled as he ran down the stairs, jumping off of the last one and into the middle of the two adults. "Where we going?"

"It's a surprise," Klaus smirked

"Uh oh, mamma doesn't like surprises," Nate said, staring up at Klaus with wide eyes.

"How about you, do you like surprises?"

"I love them!" Nate exclaimed, jumping a little in the air.

"Excellent, we better get going then." Klaus turned around, opening up the door. "Coming, love?" One eyebrow was raised, questioning.

Caroline tugged on her lower lip and shrugged giving in. Her curiosity got the better of her and had to know where their date, if you could call it that because now it involved her son, would be.

Nate ran out the open door, "come on, mamma!"

* * *

Stefan grunted when he felt the weight of a body on top of him, his hands rose and skimmed the sides of said body. The curves only fit that of his fiancé, "may I help you?" His arms circled her waist, holding her on top of him; the morning light was rough on his hung over eyes so he kept them closed.

"Wake up," Rebekah whispered against his skin as she kissed his jaw.

Stefan brought one arm over his eyes to try and block out the sunlight that crept through the curtains in Rebekah's' apartment. "No, lemme sleep," he groaned, protesting.

Rebekah leaned forward placing a soft kiss against his cheek. "You knew we had errands to run today concerning the wedding so I don't know why you went out with Nik and Kol last night," she said softly, keeping his headache into consideration.

Stefan removed the arm over his eyes, "it was supposed to be one drink, your stupid brother tried to drink me under the table."

"You shouldn't have let Kol egg you on like that, you know how he gets," she replied with a roll of the eyes. "Get up, we have things to do such as a meeting with the wedding planner, a cake consultation and then we have to check out the location."

"Can't you do that?"

"No, because you asked me to marry you and you are supposed to be involved in some of the planning. So get up and get ready," she said, placing a soft kiss on his lips before getting off the bed and exiting the bedroom. "We leave in twenty minutes so you might want to get up sooner rather than later."

Stefan groaned, rolling over in bed and pulling the pillow over his pounding head. He heard Rebekah shout throughout the apartment, something about breakfast or the shower, he wasn't sure, her voice sounded mumbled and incoherent.

The last thing Stefan wanted to do was spend all day talking and planning the wedding but the very last thing he wanted was to upset his future wife. She had been amazing with everything so far, planning most of the event herself, the planner just helping her with the little details.

So Stefan sat up, taking a few seconds for his head to stop spinning and his stomach to settle before he got up and made his way into the shower. Half an hour later, much to Rebekah's dismay, Stefan was showered and ready to go. Luckily she didn't scold him too much even though they would be later for their first appointment of the day.

"Where are we going first again?" Stefan asked, following Rebekah out onto the busy city streets. Her hand slipped into his which he squeezed lightly.

"The wedding planner, she just wants to confirm the details of the wedding, the rehearsal and reception dinner. Like flowers and centrepieces just to make sure we still like what I had originally chosen," she listed off.

Stefan inwardly groaned, knowing the day was to be long and boring. If he had his way they would have a small court house wedding with family only. Yet, he knew that every girl wanted a big, white fairytale wedding; he really couldn't blame her. So Stefan put on a smile and prepared to agree to whatever his fiancé wanted.

* * *

"So where to first?" Caroline asked Nate as the three of them stepped through the front gates of the zoo. She looked around, large crowds already accumulating at surrounding exhibits. Being a Saturday and a late in the morning the zoo was already accumulating as the summer sun opened up in sky.

She knew it was going to be a hot day and was thankful that she dressed in a sundress and sandals. Nate was appropriately dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a red polo with his Lightening McQueen hat sitting atop his head.

Klaus opened up a map that was handed to him at the entrance where they paid, and leaned down far enough for Nate to see. "You choose, Mate."

"There," he said pointing to the upper left hand corner of the map which was the South American portion of the zoo.

"Alright, well how about we go through the North American exhibit first," Caroline suggested as she noticed that to get to South America they had to go through North America first.

She had taken Nate to the same zoo before when he was two but he hadn't been too interested at the time, mostly spent his time sleeping in the stroller. This time she knew he would be more excited and interested in all the animals.

"Okay," Nate smiled up at him as he grabbed first Caroline's hand and then Klaus's so he was in between the two adults. The three turned left along the wide path along with other families and children. Coming up on the left was a large flat field with trees for shades and inside were two large moose's, one male with large antlers and the other a female. Nate dropped both hands as he ran over to the fence to get as close as he could. Caroline shot Klaus an apologetic smile as she ran off after him, not wanting for him to get too far away.

To her surprise, Klaus was right beside her and the two stood back watching Nate as he watched the moose with large antlers curl up within itself and fall asleep. Other children and parents were at the fence line looking at the animals inside, Caroline and Klaus stayed back seeing perfectly from where they were.

When Nate got his fill he ran back, grabbing both hands and pulling him in the direction of the next exhibit. "Wolves," Nate said in awe as he read the sign, drawing close to the exhibit. Caroline followed Nate as they neared the first barrier that held guests away from the chain link fence that housed the wolves.

She felt Klaus slink up beside her, his shoulder gently brushing hers as Nate stood in front of them. The three watched amongst other guest the pack of wolves of varying colour, most of them were grey but a few were white and even black. Caroline watched on, much like Nate, in wonder.

"Fan of wolves?" Klaus asked from beside her.

Caroline blushed, "just a little."

"I think more than a little if you're willing to get one tattooed," he smirked, glancing down at her. Caroline blushed even more, forgetting that he had already seen all the ink on her skin. "Don't worry, love, I happen to like the tattoo."

"Do you like wolves too, Nik?" Nate asked, turning around to look up at them.

"I do, mate, they're actually my favourite animal," he replied, sneaking a glance at Caroline whose cheeks were flushed slightly. "Ready for the polar bears, I think they're supposed to be up ahead."

Nate's eyes lit up with excitement, polar bears happened to be one of his favourite animals.

"Let's go then," Caroline said, ushering Nate ahead of them who lead the way to the polar bears.

"You know, Caroline, as an artist I appreciate all forms of expression, tattoo's being my favourite form," he smirked.

Caroline rolled her eyes but the corners of her lips lifted up into a small smile. She was about to reply with a sarcastic comment when she noticed that Nate was far ahead of them with no signs of slowing down. She sighed before yelling out, "Nate, come back here before you get lost!"

She grabbed Klaus' hand and pulled him along with her, trying to close the distance between them and Nate. Klaus pushed forward past her, lightly jogging to catch up with the boy. When he reached him, Klaus bent down and grabbed him, "gotchya!" He scooped him up from under the arms and placed him on top of his shoulders.

Nate giggled as he felt like he was flying into the air only to be placed on top of Klaus. His hands held on top of his head with a big smile. Caroline caught up to the two, her own smile in place as she watched the two laugh together. She walked ahead of them, leading them into the top section of the polar bear exhibit.

Nate loved being on Klaus' shoulders, he was able to see over everyone's heads seeing as that particular exhibit happened to be the most popular with the addition of a cub. "This is so cool! Nate exclaimed taking in one polar bear that was floating upside down in the water. The other, slightly smaller one was swimming with the cub.

"Why don't we go underneath to watch them swim?" Caroline suggested, earning a nod from both men. She led the way through the crowd and edge and down the ramp to go underground.

Klaus gently lifted Nate up over his head to place him on the ground. Nate took off at a run, squeezing his way through the crowd so he was in front of the glass. Caroline and Klaus followed behind but settled a few rows back in clear view of the window and Nate. Other children lined the front row, many pairs of hands and noses pressed to the glass.

* * *

Hours later they had made it around the zoo and all continent sections but had resulted in a tired Nate. He had missed his afternoon nap during his regular scheduled time so he improvised and fallen asleep on Caroline's' shoulder only hours later, just in time for them to go home. They had made the decision to go home, seeing as Nate wasn't awake to enjoy the surroundings. They missed out on the new panda exhibit, as well as the elephants.

Nate adored all the different types of monkeys that varied from chimpanzees to gorillas and even the small spider monkeys. They even made it to a few shows, watching seals do tricks and watch a hawk be trained. As much as Nate loved it, Klaus seemed to love it even more.

"I can take him, he looks heavy," Klaus said, stopping up short beside Caroline.

She considered for all of two seconds before handing Nate off to Klaus. Her arms really had begun to hurt, she had hoped earlier that Nate would last until the end of the day and they were home before he fell asleep. "Thanks," she said, shaking her arms to regain feeling in them.

"No problem," Klaus smiled, adjusting Nate in his arms. As soon as Nate was transferred his head fell right onto Klaus' shoulder, his mouth slightly open.

"How's the gallery doing?" Caroline asked, picking up where their earlier conversation about her work had left off.

"Excellent, actually. I've picked up some new talent to showcase, as well as selling quite a bit of my own work. I seem to have hit some inspiration lately which has done me well," he smiled. "Also, commission pieces have started to flow in left and right, so business for me is doing phenomenally well."

"That's great!" She enthused. "I would love to see you work sometime."

"Drop by the studio anytime, love, you're more than welcome."

"That piece you did for Nate for his birthday was amazing, he made me hang it above his bed the next day. How did you even come up with that?"

Klaus chuckled and as Caroline looked up he saw his cheeks slightly colour as if he was embarrassed. He shifted Nate in his arms, now holding onto him with both hands, one under for support and the other rubbing his back. He shrugged, "I don't know, it just came to me. I'm glad he liked it though, I was nervous that he wouldn't."

"You could give him a pet rock and Nate would love it just because you gave it to him," she laughed. "I don't know what you did but that little boy loves you."

Klaus smiled, "I don't know what I did either but I can assure you that the feelings are mutual."

Caroline felt her heart warm at the words Klaus just spoke. His blue eyes were a light with sincerity and love. Caroline blushed, looking away, liking the way Klaus was looking at her. She had begun to notice the electricity shared between them, something she thought had disappeared since their first night together.

* * *

Klaus followed Caroline up the stairs to the second floor, Nate perched in his arms still fast asleep. He offered to take him, noticing how tired she was from the day they had that she didn't have the energy.

She led him into the familiar bedroom, one which he had been in many times already. Caroline walked into the room, Klaus following close behind. She pulled the sheets down for him, allowing Klaus to place Nate down onto the bed. He slowly pulled off his shoes, placing them on the floor and then took off his hat and placed it on the end table.

Klaus didn't back away even though he felt Caroline step closer, ready to finish off the job for him. Klaus pulled the sheets up and over Nate, and made sure he was tucked in with his teddy bear. He stepped back, allowing Caroline to place a kiss atop his head before retreating out of the room behind her.

As he was about to exist a small voice squeaked from behind him, "Nik?"

Klaus turned around to see Nate turned on his side and looking over at him, his small hands rubbing at his eyes. He looked back at Caroline who had stopped on the other side of the doorway, giving him a slight nod and smile. "I'll just be downstairs," she whispered.

He nodded, turning around and making his way back towards Nate. He sat down on the bed, turned slightly and bent over so he was facing the little boy that was now perched up on his elbows.

"Do you think she had fun?" He asked, his voice muddled from exhaustion.

Klaus smiled, "I think she had a blast. What about you?"

"Best day ever."

"Excellent."

"So our plan worked?" Nate asked, settling back down into his pillows.

"I think so," Klaus replied, noticing the small smile he wore. "Why don't you have a nap and I'll come wake you up soon and we'll have some more fun, alright?"

"Okay," he relented; his eyelids fluttering close merely moments later.

Klaus took one last look at the sleeping boy before retreating out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He smirked, remembering the plan he and Nate had made up only hours ago. He intended on taking Nate on their date with him, he just need some persuasion and ideas. So for those few seconds while Caroline had been busy, Nate and Klaus came up with the perfect date for the three of them.

He made his way down the stairs following the sound of Caroline humming, coming from the kitchen. He paused in the doorway, watching her gliding around, gathering supplies from the cupboards and drawers. The afternoon light filtering in through the large window, casting a soft glow around her.

Klaus admired form, drinking up every ounce of her. He was about to step forward, announcing his presence but she began to sing. A melodious tune, softly flowing past her lips. It wasn't something he had heard before, an old country song he assumed by the words.

Caroline went to grab something out of the fridge, jumping out of her skin when she saw Klaus leaning against the wall in the kitchen. A grin plastered across his fast, clearly amused. She blushed a deep shade of red, "how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," he said, pushing himself off the wall and striding across the kitchen. "Let me make dinner tonight."

"Why, scared I'll set something on fire?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," he laughed. "I've heard many stories from Stefan and you, my dear, should not be allowed in the kitchen."

"Hey!" She pouted, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a mock offended look. Her features softened significantly as a thought crossed her mind and she immediately backed away. "If you insist on cooking, then by all means, go ahead."

She grabbed the wine glass that had been sitting on the counter and skipped over to Klaus, brushing past him and sat at the breakfast bar. She smirked, challenging him.

"Prepare to be amazed by the best meal you have ever tasted."

"Do you even know what you're going to make?"

"Of course I do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. You just have to wait and find out when it's time."

"Fine," she said, sticking out her tongue.

Klaus set to work, grabbing more ingredients from the freezer and pantry. He had an idea of what he wanted to make but was going to let inspiration lead him as he cooked, much like how he painted.

He set to work, placing the chicken into the preheated oven. Vegetables were chopped and being steamed, having an assortment of carrots, asparagus, broccoli and string beans.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Caroline piped up from behind him. He turned around, knife in hand, to see her squinting at him.

Klaus chuckled, "I do, actually."

"How?"

"My father taught me to cook," he shrugged, turning back around to finish preparing the sauce as he cut up mushrooms and began to heat them up. "Almost every night, he would make dinner, often letting me help him. He taught me pretty much everything he knew."

"About cooking?"

"About everything," he said, turning back around and leaned on the counter. "All about art, how to draw and paint. He taught me how to read, helped me with my homework, lots of stuff really."

"You really cared for him," Caroline realized.

He nodded, "He might not have been blood, but he was my father."

"When did you find out? Do your siblings know? What was it like growing up?" Caroline asked.

Klaus turned around, finishing off his preparations. Adding the now sautéed mushrooms with freshly cut tomatoes and sauce into a pot and putting it on the stove. Once he was satisfied with everything, giving himself a few moments to chat with Caroline, he stood across from her at the island, leaning on it for support.

He understood her curiosity; she wasn't the first person to ask such questions. He also knew that Caroline was a curious person by nature and that when he told her about his father last week; he knew he would be getting such questions from her.

"I found out when I was seven." He said, glancing down at the counter top feeling nervous all of a sudden. "I heard my parents arguing about this man-I can't remember his name-but he was my birth father. Mikael felt it was my right to meet him, get to know him but my mother refused. She didn't want to acknowledge the affair any more than she had to, saying how hard it was seeing her mistake every day in the face of her son."

"Klaus," Caroline said, reaching across the island and placed her hand over his. She squeezed it gently, causing him to look up at her. "She didn't mean it."

"I know, but it's hard sometimes, knowing that you're the result of an affair. That Mikael was never really my father, that I was a mistake and to know I'm different from my siblings? I hate it and sometimes I hate my mother for bringing this all on me."

Caroline hopped off her stool and walked around the island so she was face to face with Klaus without anything in their way. She turned him around so he was facing her, her hands reaching out to cup his face. He raised his eyes to meet her, blue staring into blue.

"You don't hate your mother, your just angry with her. Take it from someone who has never even met her father, you are incredibly lucky to have had Mikael. Things could have been different, he could have left then there would have never been Henrik or Rebekah or Kol. He could have acted out and separated you from the family. You are such a strong person, Klaus, all because of Mikael and growing up how you did."

"Caro-"

"No, listen. Be thankful for what you have. A beautiful family, one that's growing to add a few more. A mother who loves and adores you and only wants the best for you. Don't think about the bad stuff; think about how Mikael was there for you. How he would want you to move on from all this and to love yourself because you are different," she said.

Caroline removed her hands from his face and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him into her. Klaus was a little confused at first but quickly settled into the hug, wrapping his arms around her back and burying his face into her neck. He smelled her perfume and shampoo mingle together, creating an intoxicating smell.

He breathed out, feeling safe in her arms. How up until that moment he had been feeling numerous things about his origin and how it differentiated from his siblings. Yet, all it took was one stern talking to from Caroline and he felt immensely better. He would always feel insecure about it but it was easier to live with.

Klaus had to be thankful for what he had and stop swelling on all the negative aspects in his life. He was broken from his train of thought by the timer that he had set earlier went off. He pulled back, looking down at Caroline who offered him a small smile.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he said, kissing her forehead. Klaus turned around to finish off dinner, adding, "Can you set the table and maybe wake Nate up, this should be ready in ten minutes."

"Sure," she replied. He thought he heard her leave but felt two small hands wrap around his chest as she hugged him from behind. "I just want you to know you can talk to me about anything, I'm always here for you."

Klaus nodded, tensing as he felt her hands recede slowly from his torso. Her hands gliding over his muscles and he caught himself wishing there wasn't layers of clothes separating them. That he longed to feel skin on skin contact with the beautiful woman he was dating.

He was drawn from his thoughts again when he heard the sauce he had been heating begin to bubble over the edge of the pot. He cursed under his breath and began to finish off dinner.

* * *

Caroline sat across from Klaus at the dinner table, Nate sitting in between them. She stared at him, noticing the way he lit up when he talked to Nate or when he told a story about one of his siblings. She was in awe of the man in front of her; he was just filled with so much love. She took another bite of the delicious meal he had made, chicken parmesan with a side of steamed vegetables. The sauce he used had tomatoes and mushrooms, adding that extra little of flavour.

What surprised her above all was that Nate had eaten everything, his vegetables included. Normally he refused to eat them, put up a fight or threw a tantrum. All Klaus had to do was suggest he try them and within seconds they were gone from his plate. She looked up again, chewing what was in her mouth to stare at Klaus.

Something had changed between them. She felt a pull towards him; she didn't feel like they were just friends but something much more. It happened without her even noticing it but throughout the day as they learned more about each other she found herself growing fonder of Klaus and even loved his company.

Who knew he could be so charming and funny at the same time? Not Caroline, that was for sure. But her son had seen it, seen the man that Klaus claimed to be and not who Caroline thought he was.

"You're staring, love," Klaus said, smirking, breaking her from her trance.

She shook her head and blushed, "I wasn't staring."

"You were staring," Nate said, looking up at her, clearly amused.

"What were you doing then? Gazing?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed when the two broke out in a fit of laughter. "Mature," she said, giggling along with them.

"It must be my good looks that you can't get enough of," Klaus smirked.

"Actually, it's your big ego," Caroline replied sarcastically.

Klaus puffed up his chest, "thought so."

"That was so good, Nik!" Nate exclaimed, interrupting the couple from their shameless flirting. He pushed the plate away and rubbed his tummy, "really good. You need to cook for us more often, you're better than Uncle Stefan."

"I think that can be arranged," A voice from behind them said. Caroline turned around to see Rebekah and Stefan walk into the kitchen, shopping bags in hand. "Someone's going to have to hold down the house when I move out, we all know Caroline can't cook."

"Hey!" Caroline pouted, "Not funny."

"I would be honoured to pick up Stefan's slack and be your personal chef, Sir Nate," Klaus said, addressing the little boy.

"Awesome!"

"Sweetie, why don't you and Nik take Nate out for some ice cream," Rebekah suggested, placing her free hand on Stefan's shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because Caroline and I need some girl time."

"I like ice cream," Nate said, already getting out of his chair and pulling Klaus up out of his.

Stefan sighed, placing the shopping bags down at his feet. "Fine."

"Excellent," Rebekah clapped.

Caroline rolled her eyes, seeing right through her little scheme. Thought it would be good to have a little chat with her, find out all she can about Klaus. Who better to ask then his sister, right?

The two and a half men left the kitchen and to the front door. She faintly heard Nate ask a question, "Why is Aunt Bekah sending us for ice cream, she says it's fattening."

"Because your Aunt Bekah is crazy," Stefan replied, causing everyone but Rebekah to laugh.

"I heard that!" She yelled after them. "Ice cream is very fattening, Nathanial, which is why your Uncle isn't allowed to have any."

Stefan groaned while Klaus whispered very loudly, "you don't need to listen to her, she's just being petty."

"Niklaus!" She shrieked.

"I think we better go or else Aunt Bekah is going to come after us with a knife," Stefan said and within seconds the front door shut and the house was quiet.

Caroline got up and began to clean up from dinner, noticing that there wasn't even much to do except place all the dishes in the dishwasher. Rebekah sat at the island, back straight and watching Caroline intently as she worked.

After growing tired of whatever game Rebekah was trying to play she stopped at turned to face the blonde, "what?"

"How was your date today?" Rebekah asked, her face light and voice smug.

"Fine," she said, spinning around to finish cleaning up.

"Don't play coy with me, tell me everything!"

"Bekah," Caroline groaned. She needed girl time but she just didn't want to talk about her relationship-if that's what it even was- with her. "How was your day?"

"Good, we got all the final details settled, the rest is up to the wedding planner, plus we got in some shopping today." She smiled. "Now, how was your day?" Caroline didn't say anything, just finished the job at hand. "You can't avoid me forever, care bear."

"Fine," she said, turning around and walking around the island to sit beside her. "It was amazing. Klaus is amazing."

"That's much better, tell me everything."

Caroline sighed, thinking back on the amazing day she just had. "Well he planned the whole thing out, inviting Nate along to go to the zoo with us. Those two just clicked; it's amazing how much Nate loves him and you can tell Klaus feels the same."

"That's adorable. I knew Nate would take to Klaus; they are oddly alike in many ways. So what else?"

"The zoo was great! We came back, Nate had a nap while Klaus prepared dinner and then we ate and you came home," she shrugged, trying to play it all off like it was nothing.

"That's it? Nothing you want to add? Like how you feel about him? Or anything you want to know about him?" Rebekah questioned. "Come on, Caroline, I know you like him."

Caroline felt her jaw drop, her eyes widen as she gaped at her friend. "You, what?"

"I know you like him," she smirked. "Heard you and Bonnie talk about it during our girl's night and that was before you got to know him."

"Fine, I like him!" She exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation and defeat. "A lot!"

Rebekah jumped up, throwing her arms around her friend and hugging her. Excitement radiating off her and onto Caroline. "This is so exciting. My brother and my best friend! You like my brother!"

Caroline pulled back reluctantly from Rebekah, breaking the embrace. "Relax, it's not like we're getting married. We're just dating," Caroline said.

"But it's something! You like him and he likes you!"

"He likes me?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "isn't it obvious? God, Caroline, you're so dense sometimes."

Caroline shot her a look, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, and you can be pretty dense too."

"Shut up," she giggled, pushing the other blonde lightly.

"Since your here and sent my five year old for ice cream, you're going to be dealing with his sugar high while I have a relaxing bath," Caroline said.

"Fine," Rebekah relented.

Caroline couldn't contain her smile as she left her friend in the kitchen and made her way into her room. She flopped back on the bed, exhaustion from all the excitement of the day she just had. Her hands covered her eyes and she giggled, utterly happy for the first time in a long time. Things with Klaus were new and exciting, like all new relationships.

She got up, regaining control over her excitement when she was startled by seeing someone in the doorway. "Klaus," she whispered, her hand touching her chest above her heart, hear heart beating erratically at the scare.

"Bekah and Stefan said they'll watch Nate tonight, they're settling down for a long night of board games, I was just going to head out," he explained.

"Okay," she nodded.

Klaus took two steps towards her, placing a hand on the side of her arm as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I had a great day, thank you, Caroline."

She nodded again, not able to think with the close proximity. Caroline reached up and brought her lips to his, brushing them ever so lightly that he wasn't sure if she even kissed him. But a second later her lips pressed harder against his before they were gone completely.

"See you soon?" She asked, blushing slightly.

"Absolutely," he grinned.

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Was there enough Klaroline? Liked learning about Mikael? Liked seeing Klaus and Nate bond? But what about all that Klaroline? **


End file.
